By: Chris Nosek

Late Monday night, the Boston Bruins announced that they signed their top prospect, James Hagens. He will be reporting to the Providence Bruins on an amateur tryout agreement (ATO). So, what does this mean, and what options does it present going forward? Let’s take a look…

What Does The ATO Mean?

The amateur tryout agreement will allow Hagens to play with the Providence Bruins in both practices and games. This will give Hagens a chance to learn the system the Bruins want him to play, while not eating into his entry-level contract. Signing an ATO will also allow Hagens to remain eligible to play in the NCAA next season. He will hold onto this eligibility until his entry-level contract gets signed.

Can He Still Sign an Entry-Level Contract (ELC)?

The option for Hagens to sign his entry-level contract remains on the table, despite the ATO being signed. While playing on the ATO, he is only eligible to play in Providence, so if the Bruins want to call him up, the ELC will need to be signed.

How Long Will His ELC Be?

The term of Hagens’ entry-level contract will be three years, provided he signs it before he turns 21. As stated before, he is still able to sign it this season. Once he signs the ELC, whether that is in a day, a week, or a month, he will be playing the first season of that contract. He could play out the rest of this season down in Providence on the ATO and sign his ELC for next season.

When Can He Sign His ELC?

Hagens is still eligible to sign his entry-level contract at any time. This ATO can go for a few days, or he can stay on it until the end of the season. If the organization wants to get him in a game with the big club, though, he needs to come off the ATO and sign his ELC to do so.

Why Not Sign The ELC Anyway?

As the AHL Communications team was nice enough to remind us back on March 5th, “a player must be on an AHL roster at the NHL trade deadline in order to be eligible to be sent down from the NHL at any time for the rest of the regular season or Calder Cup Playoffs.” This means that in order for Hagens to play for Providence at all, he would need to do it under the ATO. Once he signs his ELC, he will be in Boston for the remainder of this season.

Per NHL rules, a player must be on an AHL roster at the #NHLTradeDeadline (3 pm ET Friday) in order to be eligible to be sent down from the NHL at any time for the rest of the regular season or the #CalderCup Playoffs.

— AHL Communications (@AHLPR) March 5, 2026

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