Boston College hockey star James Hagens, from Hauppauge, is expected to be a top pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. Newsday Sports' Jamie Stuart reports. Credit: Morgan Campbell; Boston College Athletics; Photo Credit: Kristine Hagens

It’s a moment James Hagens and his family long anticipated through the early wake-up calls and the late nights getting home to Hauppauge exhausted. Their shared dream of him playing in the NHL goes back to youth hockey, and very early youth hockey at that.

And now, finally, it’s the week of the NHL Draft. On Friday at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, James Hagens will hear his name called in the first round and will, quite likely, become the highest-drafted player ever from Long Island.

“I’m feeling a whole lot of everything,” Kristine Hagens said as she, her husband, Michael, and their soon-to-be drafted son spoke to Newsday before departing for California. “Super excited. We’re nervous. Anxious. Just so proud and honored, honestly.”

“We’re super proud of him,” Michael Hagens said to follow his wife’s sentiments. “He’s worked so hard his whole life. He’s sacrificed so many different things to be at this point in his life. To get to that point, to get to that day, it’s pride.”

Hagens, 18, is third on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s ranking of North American skaters after notching 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games as a Boston College freshman. The 5-11, 177-pound Hagens once was projected as the draft’s first overall pick and is still considered a potential top-five selection.

West Islip’s Mike Komisarek, selected seventh overall by the Canadiens in 2001, currently is the highest-picked Long Islander.

“It would mean a lot,” Michael Hagens said of his son potentially taking that designation from Komisarek. “He’s a competitive kid. James wants to go No. 1. And he’s a loyal kid. Whoever drafts him will have him for the long run. He likes to challenge himself. It’s why he chose NCAA hockey over junior hockey.”

James Hagens grew up an Islanders fan, and the Islanders won the first pick through the NHL Draft Lottery.

His mother estimated there will be approximately 60 family and friends attending the draft.

“Parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and then at least about 20 to 30 friends that are expected to come as well,” she said. “The list keeps getting bigger and bigger. Thankfully, we had some help from our adviser to kind of arrange something after the draft where everyone can kind of meet up. Because you feel that pressure, too. I’m not entertaining them. But I feel the pressure of having to give people direction.”

The Islanders are widely expected to use the No. 1 pick on defenseman Matthew Schaefer, 17, who has spent two seasons playing junior hockey for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League.

But there’s also been speculation the Islanders might try to trade back into the top 10 and possibly fulfill the directive of those bumper stickers seen on Long Island to “Bring Hagens Home.”

James Hagens pays as little mind to trade rumors as he does to mock drafts.

“Yeah, the media has no effect on my life,” he said. “The type of hockey player I am, the type of person I am. I could care less about what happens or what someone could write in an article. I know what I can do out on the ice and I just want to be able to play hockey.”

He reportedly tested well and impressed teams through the interview process during the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo the first week of June. Since then, he’s had an additional opportunity to meet with Flyers brass as many project Hagens could land in Philadelphia with the sixth overall pick.

Hagens also traveled to Sunrise, Florida, to attend Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and Oilers on June 9.

But Friday is the day — has always been the day — that’s drawn his focus. And he knows he’ll be thinking of his parents when his name is called.

“It’s just excitement,” Hagens said. “Just be grateful for all their time and everything sacrificed. They’re the reason why you’re here. Making sure you’re sharing that moment with your family.”

Michael Hagens, who coached his son in youth hockey, will be thinking about the long journey.

“Kristine’s the emotional one,” he said. “Not many kids get to do this, right? There’s plenty of kids that play hockey. It’s so hard to get to the highest levels. It goes back to the nature-or-nurture thing. You need both. You have to have that God-given talent and you have to be able to outwork people as well. You put that together, you have something special.”

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