Brandon Hagel

 ( 1998 Births ) 

Prior to the 2017–18 season, Hagel participated in both the Rebels' and Sabres' training camps. During a scrimmage with the Rebels, Hagel suffered a knee injury and was expected to be returned to the WHL to complete the season. Despite this, he was named an alternate captain and recorded three goals and two assists in back-to-back games against the Edmonton Oil Kings. Although he was healthy to begin the season, Hagel experienced an upper body injury and missed six weeks to recover.

By June 1, 2018, the Sabres had not signed Hagel to a contract and relinquished their rights to him, allowing him to become eligible for the 2018 NHL entry draft. He was subsequently invited to the Montreal Canadiens training camp on a tryout basis but began the 2018–19 season with the Rebels. After recording 30 points in 19 games, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks worth $925,000. He continued his success through his final season in the WHL, where he set a new franchise record for most assists and was selected for the WHL Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team. Hagel surpassed Arron Asham's 161 former franchise assist record on February 9, 2019, in a game against the Moose Jaw Warriors. On March 1, 2019, Hagel scored his 100th WHL point and 38th goal of the season in a 4–7 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers.

As a black ace in the Blackhawks' first-round playoff exit, Hagel did not feature in a game. With the 2020–21 season being postponed, Hagel was loaned to a second tier Swiss League club, HC Thurgau, on September 30, 2020.

As a restricted free agent with the Blackhawks following his 2020–21 season, Hagel was resigned to a three-year, $4.5 million contract extension on August 6, 2021.

Hagel played the remainder of the 2021–22 season with the Lightning, recording four goals and three assists for a total of seven points through 22 games as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning finished the season as the fifth seed on the East. During the 2022 playoffs, he posted two goals and four assists for six points with the Lightning en route to a third straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, in which they were defeated by the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in six games.

In his first full season with the Lightning in 2022–23, Hagel achieved career highs in both points and goals, with 30 goals and 34 assists for 64 points in 81 games. He set a new career high in each category and finished fourth on the team in points and the Lightning as a team finished sixth in the East. In the 2023 playoffs, he posted a goal and four assists for five points in a six-game first-round exit to their Atlantic Division rival, the third-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs.

Before the 2023–24 season, Hagel and the Lightning agreed to an 8-year contract extension worth $52 million. Hagel had another career-best season with 75 points across 82 regular season games. In the 2024 playoffs, he registered three goals and two assists for five points in all five games in Tampa Bay's first-round exit to the second-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Hagel recorded 35 goals and 55 assists for a career-high of 90 points in the 2024–25 season. He finished second on the team in points, behind Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov. In February, Hagel was named the NHL's first star of the week after recording a league-high four goals and four assists. In Tampa Bay's first round playoff exit, Hagel received a one-game suspension for a hit that sent Florida Panthers' captain Aleksander Barkov to the locker room in Game 2 of the series. When Hagel returned in Game 4, Florida's alternate captain Aaron Ekblad struck Hagel in the head, taking him out of the game. The team's medical staff confirmed Hagel suffered a concussion from the hit, officially ending his season. The hit sparked controversy as Ekblad was only penalized after the game and went on to score an equalizing goal.

Following the Tampa Bay Lightning's ouster in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hagel again joined Team Canada for the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

In December 2024, it was announced that Hagel would be a part of Canada's 23-player roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, which replaced the 2025 NHL All-Star Game. Notably, in a game against the United States, Brandon Hagel and Matthew Tkachuk began to fight immediately following the opening puck drop. This started a series of brawls, with play stopped three separate times due to fighting in the first nine seconds. Team Canada and Hagel won the tournament after eliminating the United States in the final with a 3–2 overtime victory.

On December 31, 2025, he was named to Canada's roster to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

• Most goals in a single season without scoring a power play goal (32 goals)
• Most assists in the first period of a game (4 assists)
• Fastest goal to start an outdoor game (11 seconds)

Hagel is an advocate for mental health awareness, having lost three family members to suicide since 2017. Since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning, he has been an active participant in the NHL's Hockey Talks initiative.