With Adam Sandler announcing his pick, Boston College’s James Hagens happy to be drafted by Bruins

Growing up on Long Island, James Hagens wanted nothing more than to be selected by the team he grew up rooting for, the New York Islanders.

Though that dream failed to materialize at the NHL draft on Friday night, the 18-year-old Boston College center was more than happy with the consolation. Hagens is not only staying in Boston, after being selected seventh overall by the Bruins, he enjoyed the extra bonus of having his name announced by Adam Sandler.

“Just being on a team that wants you the most, I love Boston. I love the area,” he said after becoming the first U.S.-born player taken in the draft. “It’s so special to have Adam Sandler make that pick. It’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

It just so happens that Hagens lists his favorite movie as “Happy Gilmore,” which features Sandler as a former hockey player who turns his attention to golf.

Wearing a Bruins jersey, Sandler announced the pick on a video screen on the draft stage inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. As Hagens made his way up the aisle, Sandler could be seen celebrating on screen in the background.

Sandler was one of numerous celebrities to introduce teams’ selections with the NHL going to a decentralized draft format in which its 32 franchises made their picks from their own markets. That’s different from the past, when all teams gathered inside the same facility to make their picks.

At 5-foot-11, Hagens had 11 goals and 26 assist s to finish fourth in points among college freshmen last season. He scored five goals for America’s gold medal-winning team at the world juniors championships.

The Islanders had the first pick, and selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

Chores came first for Brady Martin in electing to spend the NHL draft with his family and friends at his southern Ontario farm rather than attend the event in Los Angeles.

“There’s still work to do with the animals and stuff,” the Ontario Hockey League center said after being selected fifth overall by the Nashville Predators.

One reason for his decision to stay home was the NHL moving to a decentralized draft format.

“I just decided I could have more people with me here for the journey I’ve been on,” Martin said. “If I really had to, I would’ve gone to the draft. ... I just wanted to be at home with friends and family. And, yeah, family comes first.”

The 6-foot, 180-pound player had 33 goals and 72 points in 57 games in his second season with the Soo Greyhounds. He was selected well ahead of projections, after being ranked 11th among North American skaters by NHL central scouting.

Martin believes he’ll be a great fit in Nashville and Tennessee, which features a diverse range of farming.

“I think the qualities of being a farmer just helps you a lot, the discipline, the responsibilities, everything. It translated to hockey,” Martin said, explaining his chores include taking care of the dairy and beef cows, and chickens.

“Anything that my father asks of me, I guess, just trying to get the hang of things,” Martin said, before breaking into a smile. “Yeah, growing up and learning. I had to have a little bit of a backup plan if hockey were to go sideways, I guess.”

The first 11 picks in the draft went by without any movement. Then, Commissioner Gary Bettman asked Kris Letang’s son, Alex, to press the red button that brought “Trade Alert” up on video screens.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded No. 12, which the New York Rangers transferred to them earlier in the week to complete the J.T. Miller deal with Vancouver, to the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers for Nos. 22 and 31. The Flyers took big center Jack Nesbitt.

“You were our guy all along,” general manager Daniel Briere told him.

The Nashville Predators acquired the 21st pick in a trade in which they sent the Ottawa Senators their 23rd and 67th selections. Nashville used the pick to select OHL defenseman Cameron Reid.

Pittsburgh acquired the 24th pick to select Michigan center William Horcoff, in dealing the 31st and 59th picks to Los Angeles. Chicago jumped back into the first round to select Edina, Minnesota, dual-sport high schooler — hockey center/quarterback Mason West — at 29 by trading two picks this year (34 and 62) and a fifth-rounder next year to Carolina.

Bettman announced the first pick, then turned the responsibilities over to everyone from a WWE wrestler to a series of NHL alumni.

Golfer Tony Finau did it for Utah, Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley for Philadelphia, members of the Goo Goo Dolls for Buffalo and Meredith Gaudreau, wife of late Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, for Columbus. San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, who spends his offseason in Nashville and developed into a Predators fan, announced Reid's selection.

Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars won the Jim Gregory general manager of the year award for a third consecutive season. Video of Nill being presented with the trophy was shown two-thirds of the way through the first round of the draft.

Nill is the first executive to win the award three times in a row since its inception in 2010. Among other moves, he acquired Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline and signed the big winger to an eight-year, $96 million extension and the Stars again reached the Western Conference final.

Minutes after Roger McQueen was selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 11th pick, he was informed he was going to Disneyland ... immediately.

After completing a few rounds of interviews, the 6-foot-6 Canadian center got into a helicopter and was whisked to the nearby theme park. The broadcast showed him there not long after with Mickey Mouse ears on his head, high-fiving Donald Duck.

This marked the first draft since 2021 -- and third since 2012 -- to have two goalies selected in the first round. Russian junior Pyotr Andreyanov was selected 20th by Columbus and WHL’s Joshua Ravensbergen went 30th to San Jose. They represent the ninth and 10th goalies drafted in the first round over the past 15 years. ... The draft was the first to feature four teams — the Islanders, Chicago, Nashville and Pittsburgh — with three first-round picks.

AP Sports writer Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Meredith Gaudreau, widow of Johnny Gaudreau, speaks during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Radim Mrtka, middle left, stands between The Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik, left, and Robby Takac, middle right, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Jack Nesbitt, left, stands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

James Hagens, left, stands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being drafted by the Boston Bruins during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

James Hagens walks to the stage after being drafted by the Boston Bruins during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)