Hagel, 39, enters his third season as an assistant coach with the San Jose Barracuda in 2024-25. Prior to his time in San Jose, the former AHLer spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL after a nine-year pro-playing career between the ECHL and AHL.

Hagel, who played mostly left-wing as a player, spent four years at Princeton before beginning his pro career. During his nine seasons as a professional, he spent time with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, Peoria Rivermen, Hamilton Bulldogs, Portland Pirates, and Charlotte Checkers, amassing 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) and 1,001 penalty minutes in 373 games. In the ECHL, he skated in 80 games between the Fresno Falcons, Reading Royals and Las Vegas Wranglers, totaling 28 points (14 goals, 14 goals) in 80 games.

The native of Hamilton, Ontario, won the 2015 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which is given out annually to the AHL’s man of the year for service to his local community.