Change Of Plans

Hagen Burrows initially planned to spend this winter in Sioux City, Iowa, a place where he got his first taste of the USHL last season.

Burrows put together an impressive rookie year with the Musketeers, racking up 22 points (9-13-22) over 25 games and helping Sioux City reach the Western Conference Finals.

That bookended a tremendous high school season, too, as Burrows recorded 59 points (19-40-59) over 28 games at Minnetonka. He was constantly regarded among the state’s top players and ultimately won Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey Award in March.

Despite that success, Burrows planned to return to northwest Iowa for a full year of junior hockey.

However, that plan changed in late June, as the right-shot forward received the opportunity to head west to the University of Denver.

“Some things moved around (at Denver), and the opportunity arose to come in here early, and I felt I was ready to make the jump,” Burrows said. “I really enjoyed my time in Sioux City and was looking forward to being back there, but I just felt being around the (Denver staff) and culture would be beneficial for my game in the long run, and I’m really happy with my decision so far.”

Hagen Burrows, an Orono native, is a finance major and one of five freshmen on DU’s roster. “He is fitting well into the culture of our team,” said Denver coach David Carle. “Hagen has tremendous skill and hockey sense, and he is adjusting well to the college level as an 18-year-old. There is a high ceiling for him, and we’re excited to help him continue to develop.” (Photo courtesy of University of Denver Athletics)

Burrows arrived on Denver’s campus in July and said that culture was evident from day one. It’s one of the factors that initially attracted him to DU; he committed to the Pioneers in April 2023. The other factors were Denver’s talent, coaches and 10 national championships – three of which have come in the last eight years.

He played his first two collegiate games earlier this month at Alaska-Anchorage, helping the Pioneers secure a season-opening sweep, and he hopes to make an impact throughout his rookie campaign.

At the same time, Burrows knows it’s a process and plans on taking his freshman season one day at a time – listening, learning and soaking up as much information as he can.

“Everyone has seen what they’ve done the last few years and the staff is one of the best, if not the best, in the nation when it comes to developing their players,” Burrows said. “Everyone here knows what it takes to be successful. So to learn from them each and every day is really exciting and is going to help me this season and moving forward.”

That feeling is mutual.

“We’ve grown our recruiting footprint in Minnesota over the years, and we’re always looking for the best players in the state that will fit into the culture here at Denver, and Hagen checked those boxes for us on and off the ice,” said Denver coach David Carle. “We’ve liked how he’s developed his game in Minnetonka and with Sioux City and believed he was ready for the college game this year.”

Success with the Skippers
Burrows played 86 games over his three seasons at Minnetonka and helped the Skippers win a Class 2A title in 2023. Burrows was also named to the 2023 All-Tournament Team.

Minnetonka looked poised for another deep run last spring but was upset by Chanhassen in the section final, which capped Burrows’ high school career. He finished with 135 points (58-77-135) over those 86 games.

Those who watched Burrows the past few seasons saw his game evolve, and they’re excited to see it continue at DU.

“I think we saw Hagen grow a lot, and the area where his game really evolved was his competitive nature, especially when the game got tougher. Because he was never afraid to go to the hard areas of the ice,” said Sioux City general manager Sean Clark. “Hagen’s a big body with a great IQ and a high skill level, and he’s got the ability to make a lot of plays all over the ice. And he was always a team-first guy.

Hagen Burrows was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round (128th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft after an impressive 2023-24 season. “That’s something you dream about as a kid, and to be lucky enough to have it happen to you is super surreal,” Burrows said. “I got to go out to Vegas and was at the Sphere, so I was fortunate to share that moment with my family and some friends and it was such a great moment.”(Photo courtesy of Sioux City Musketeers)

“We saw that right from the start last season and his ability to impact a game when the puck is on his stick is special. So, I think if he just continues to be himself he can have success at the next level, and he’s a kid that only continues to get better.”

Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy said Burrows have continued to excel.

“I believe he’s ready,” Goldsworthy said. “It’s really hard to come through a program and be the marked guy and still produce at the level Hagen did for us. He saw every team’s best defensemen and received plenty of attention, and I think that’s one of the things that impressed me the most last season.”

Goldsworthy added that Burrows is one of the best leaders he’s coached, and he was impressed, but also not surprised, how well Burrows handled splitting last season between the two teams.

The opportunity to join Denver early “says a lot about Hagen’s character,” too, and he’s simply a “selfless person,” Goldsworthy said.

“He’s obviously got the skill – great vision, deception, a quick release, good hands – and can play off other high-end players,” Goldsworthy said. “But what I think is so special about Hagen is he doesn’t cheat anything in life or hockey, and he makes his teammates around him better. And he also has the ability to self-correct and make adjustments to his game.

“I’m very confident that he’ll figure things out and, let’s be honest, I don’t think there are too many places that are better from a development standpoint either. So, I’m confident that staff will put him in a position to succeed.”

Hagen Burrows grew up rooting for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild and said he tries to model his game after Sidney Crosby, along with Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele. “We first got to work with (Burrows) as a sophomore, and his puck skills and vision were already elite, and he had some of the best hockey IQ I’ve been around,” said Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy. “We’ve seen his body catch up to that over the last couple years and his whole game has come together into the player he is today.” (Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports)

Back to Tonka before Denver
As for Burrows’ decision to return to Minnetonka last season, it ultimately boiled down to his friends and family back home – which he joked is the “typical Minnesota answer.”

“It was definitely tough, especially with the way we started (in Sioux City),” Burrows said. “But I think it ultimately came down to the people and the tradition we had at Minnetonka. In the long run, I thought going back and playing one more year (with his childhood friends) would be something that was more important to me, and I’m glad I got the chance to continue playing in the USHL after the season, too.

“I got the chance to play with so many good people though, and overall I got a lot of experience that I think will help me in the future.

Now he hopes that experience will parlay itself into the start of a successful college career.

He joins a Denver team with plenty of motivation, too, as the Pioneers look to defend their national championship. They’d be one of just two teams in the last 20 years to win back-to-back titles – UMD (2018-19) being the other – and certainly have the pieces to do so.

It’s a shared goal in the Mile High City, and similar to his new teammates, Burrows wants to help make that goal a reality however he can.

“Everybody is bought-in every day, and there’s a reason Denver has been one of the final teams there at the end (of the season), so I just want to help wherever I can,” Burrows said. “Everybody knows the amount of skill and talent that exists here, plus the coaching and culture.

“So, I’m just really excited to be here and it’s a really special group, and we want to go back-to-back.”