How Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli's friendship is lifting the Lightning ahead of playing together on Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament
When the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Brandon Hagel in a March 2022 trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, Anthony Cirelli wanted to make sure his newest teammate felt welcome.
Hagel made his Bolts debut on March 19 against the New York Rangers. The team had some time off shortly after, and Cirelli ensured Hagel had plans.
Their first night exploring Tampa ended up being a late one, Hagel remembered last week before sharing a laugh.
“He was one of the younger guys, obviously right around my age,” Hagel said of meeting Cirelli. “I got in and we had two or three days off in a row, and he invited me out. We went out, obviously had some fun and didn't go to bed till late the next morning.”
Other teammates were set to attend a golf event the next morning, so Hagel woke up early enough to attend. Cirelli, however, wasn’t feeling up to it.
“C (Cirelli) was like, 'Ah, I'm not going, we're running short on sleep,’” Hagel remembered. “So I'm like, 'Okay, well, I gotta go get to know the guys.’”
While Cirelli caught up on some sleep, a rest-deprived Hagel went solo to the golf event to meet his other teammates.
That initial invitation from Cirelli, though, has crafted a friendship that now extends beyond AMALIE Arena.
"When new guys come to the team I just try to make them feel welcome. I knew he was a younger guy, similar in age and we had a couple mutual friends,” Cirelli said. “So when he came into town, I just invited him out to get to know him a little bit better. You try to make guys feel welcome, and it just gives them confidence in their game, and that translates on ice.”
‘It just kind of clicked'
When Hagel was first traded to the Lightning, he was a young 20-goal scorer who then pivoted to more of a defensive role alongside Anthony Cirelli and former Bolt Alex Killorn in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I give him a lot of credit to the player I am today,” Hagel said of Cirelli. “He's helped me out in so many different ways. Gave me that opportunity to be able to be trusted by (Lightning coach Jon Cooper) because Coop always trusted Tony, and when you get put on his line you've got to build trust from your coach, especially when you first come in here. And I think credit to Tony and Killer to be honest. I got to be able to play with them and learn a lot from them defensively. It just kind of clicked.”
Both players are on track for career seasons in 2024-25. Hagel and Cirelli share plenty of ice time at 5-on-5 and are often paired on the team’s penalty kill units. Each has six shorthanded points this season, tied for most in the NHL.
They have also shared the ice on various power play setups.
Cirelli, 27, has already matched a career high with 20 goals in 53 games. He’s three points shy of tying the career-high 45 points he posted last season.
Cirelli said playing with Hagel has added an offensive dimension to his game.
"He's definitely helped me and my offensive game. Just what he does on the ice, I mean, he makes plays, he can put the puck in the back of the net, and he's the hardest working guy on the ice,” Cirelli said. “And on top of all that, he's great in the D-zone as well. So when you have a guy you could read off like that really easily, it's just easier to transition into the game.”
Hagel and Cirelli have factored on 27 goals together this season for the Lightning, tied for 15th-most by any two NHL players.
"You just kind of build that and know where he's going to be, or if I'm in, he's covering me. If he's in, I’m covering him, and vice versa,” Cirelli continued. "So I just think when you have all the skill traits that Hags has, he’s just an easy guy to play with.”
Hagel has also seen a boon in offense since joining the Lightning. The 26-year-old is fresh off a career-high 75 points in 2023-24 after scoring 30 goals—the most in any season in his NHL career—in 2022-23.
He ranks second on the team in scoring this season and is on track to surpass last year's career mark, posting 26 goals and 36 assists for 62 points in just 55 games.
"I learned so much from Tony and then when me and Tony got put together, I think I maybe brought a little bit like, 'Hey, I know we can play defense, but we can also play offense, too.' I think he's grown so much in that aspect. He's always had it,” Hagel said of Cirelli.
"You kind of just hear a lot about how Cirelli is so good defensively, which he has always been, he still is. He never really got that offensive acknowledgement that he deserves. I mean, he's showing it this year,” Hagel continued. "He’s already had 20 goals and is way on pace for career highs, so he's always had it in his game. I think me and him just clicked, and when you understand and trust someone the way we do, I think it just gives us that ability. We also know that we go out there and the number one goal is not to get scored on, but the best defense is offense, and we just compliment each other well.”
Tee times and Team Canada
When they aren’t at the rink, Hagel and Cirelli’s hobbies include playing video games, hanging out watching television, finding new dinner spots or playing golf.
Golf has become a popular pastime for the pair, particularly because Cirelli said their scorecards are often similar.
"I think we're evenly bad,” Cirelli said. “We're definitely not at the top of the leaderboard on the team. But I mean, that's what kind of makes our matches kind of fun. It could go either way.”
The duo have become inseparable. Each called the other their best friend.
"His personality, he's just a fun guy to be around,” Cirelli said of his linemate. “He's always lightening the mood, he's an unbelievable guy. So I think just that first time that I met him there, I just knew that we'd be good buddies.”
Hagel also had a feeling after meeting Cirelli that he had found a quality friend.
“I think it was pretty easy,” Hagel said. “He was a guy right around the same age, he’s a hockey player and we were very similar in personalities and the way we play the game. So I guess you could see it coming.”
Both players will represent Team Canada at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament that begins on Wednesday. They join Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Brayden Point on the Canadian roster.
As is the case for most of their adventures, the Bolts buddies will experience the tournament together. They aren’t taking that opportunity for granted.
"To play here with him and to go there and represent your country, I think it's special. And to have that familiarity with him and Pointer as well going over there, just making things a little bit easier, a little bit more comfortable. But I think it's going to be a lot of fun. You know it's not something you get to do all the time, and to be able to go out there with a couple teammates that you play with all the time is going to be pretty special.”
“Special” was the word his best friend used, too.
“It will be pretty cool obviously to get the opportunity to play with him,” Hagel said of Cirelli. “Anytime you get to play for your country with one of your best friends, it’s always pretty special.”
