Yahoo Sports Brandon Hagel leans into leadership opportunity with the Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered uncharted territory following free agency this summer, leaving them with a number of changes to start the new season. The loss of longtime captain, Steven Stamkos hit everyone hard. Sometimes when the rug gets pulled out from underneath you, it pushes everyone to step up in new ways.
In comes Lightning forward, Brandon Hagel. With 35 points so far, we’ve seen him grow into one of the league’s top two-way forwards, skating right beside his linemate and best friend, Anthony Cirelli. Both players were recently chosen to represent Team Canada in the Four Nations Face-off in February and continue to have their best season so far.
“We lost a huge leader in the dressing room this summer,” said Hagel.
“We knew that we had guys in the room that could step up. I felt like maybe I was one of them, and maybe I could be a little bit more vocal than I probably was in the past, so I tried that. I think that’s just one of the things that goes into it.”
“At the same time, I think a lot of my leadership comes from my work ethic on the ice. I try to work as hard as I possibly can every single night, to lead in that way. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Playing in his sixth NHL season, Hagel is on pace to have his best year yet. If you catch him after a loss, he’s candid in holding himself and his team accountable. He’s an animated player that’s perfectly comfortable throwing himself into the mix to stand up for his teammates. Fans love him for the way he hypes up the crowd inside Amalie Arena. Need a power play guy? Call Hagel. Need a guy who can kill a penalty? Hagel can be there. Need an overtime guy? Hagel!
The expectations for himself and this Lightning team are high. Simply put, Hagel wants to win, and when you’re talking to him, you can tell he believes fully in their ability to put the pieces together to earn a playoff spot at the end of the season.
“I think so far, especially as a group, there’s a lot of guys in the room that have a voice. Since I got here, everyone in this room has had a voice, and everyone appreciates when they speak up. I don’t think leadership is a big issue in this room, or ever will be, especially with the culture that the organization, staff and the players represent,” said Hagel.
When alternate captain, Nikita Kucherov was recently sidelined with a lower body injury, Hagel was chosen to wear an “A” on his jersey. That’s a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.
“Would I say when I was younger that I would be wearing an ‘A’ in the NHL one day? Probably not, but like I said I’ll never take that for granted.”
The Lightning acquired Hagel from the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2022, and from that day forward, he appeared to have found his home in Tampa Bay. With each season, Hagel has grown more into the role he has now with the team. He’s emerged as a leader both on and off the ice. Fans have often enjoyed watching him look after Lightning rookie, Conor Geekie. At times Hagel, Cirelli and Geekie have skated on the second line together.
“He’s a good kid and he’s a good hockey player. He continues to want to learn and get better every single day and that’s all you can ask for,” Hagel said of the rookie.
“Coming in as a young kid in this league, as a 20-year-old, it’s not easy, and you’re not going to be perfect. Every single night, there’s going to be hiccups. It happened to me. It’s happened to the best in the world. That’s just the way it is, and I think he’s done a really good job of handling that, wanting to learn and get better, and asking questions.”
Brandon Hagel has 15 goals and 20 assists in just 28 games so far. In November, he tied a franchise record with five assists in an 8-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. If you ask him about his personal accomplishments, he’ll revert right back to the team. His number one goal is to earn a playoff spot.
“I think this group’s just done a good job of knowing that if we stick to what works, we’ll give ourselves a chance. It’s kind of just sticking with it, believing in our system and believing in what we do. Everyone in this room believes in it, and we just have to go out there and do it.”
