Hagel: From Canadian Hero to Lightning Villain

0:00It's April 22nd. This is NHL News today, AI-powered stories from Inside Your Team. Brandon Hagel is gearing up to step into the villain role for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Center. The series is tied 1-1, and this Eastern conference first round matchup hits the road Friday at 7pm, Eastern Time. Just over a year ago, the 27-year-old from Saskatoon became a Canadian hero by dropping the gloves against Matthew Takachuk in the 4. Nations face off, winning over the whole country in that electric building. Earlier this week, Hagel has been a nightmare for Montreal, lighting the lamp twice in Game 1, and adding a goal plus an assist in Game 2. He even scrapped with their 4-gerage Slavkovsky, showing that same fire. This season, he hit a career-high 36 goals and 74 points in 71 games, proving he's got the full package on a stacked. Team mates can't say enough about him.

1:00Corey Perry calls Hagel the emotional leader, firing up the bench after scrums. Nikita Kutcherov praises his all situations play from power play to penalty kill. Coach John Cooper sees him as the team's pulse, vocal and ready for any task, just like that defining fight for Canada. Hagel's path here started with Chicago, where he notched 61 points over 3 years before Tampa traded for him in March 2022. He's built steadily, hitting playoffs right away and shining internationally at last year's worlds, which earned him that 4 nation spot and Olympic nod for next year in Milan. Meanwhile, Bell's center fans may boo him now, but Hagel is all in for the hostile vibe. He dreams of those intense atmospheres, embracing the shift from hero to heal as fuel to keep dominating for Tampa.