Hagel Found Out Through a Teammate Where He Was Being Traded..

Brandon Hagel was caught off guard that he was being traded, but found out through a teammate- and not management..

"I was just about to go drive there and they just pulled me upstairs in the room and kind of gave me the low-down," Hagel said in a virtual conference call. "At the time, they said they couldn't tell me where yet but it was going to be a good team, so I had no idea. And then obviously seeing stuff all over the internet, I still wasn't told, but I was getting a lot of text messages that I was going there.

"Obviously a little bit of a crazy day, mixed emotions, made tons of friends and memories there, but that being said, I'm also excited and happy to be coming to Tampa, especially with the team they have."

One of the first texts Hagel got was from Tyler Johnson, Chicago Blackhawks forward. As he was recently traded from Tampa Bay to Chicago, he tried to comfort and re assure Brandon Hagel. Where Johnson gave him a heads up where he was going, Tampa Bay.

"He texted me because a lot of the guys already took off from the plane," Hagel said. "He asked if I was going to Tampa and I said, 'Yeah I'm pretty sure that's where it is,' and he basically said, 'You'll love it, there's nothing bad to say about it.' So I'm excited. Even him being able to tell me that, it makes me just as excited."

Unfortunately Hagel was not able to say his full goodbyes as a lot of his teammates already took off from the plane..

"I'm excited to be on this winning team and a team that's done it before and learn from the older guys as well," Hagel said. "I'm new to the league, as well as obviously a new team, and they have a lot of veteran guys there that know how to win and know what it takes to win, so I'm excited to do that.

"I'm ready to learn from those guys, but at the same time I'm ready to show what I got and be a big part of this organization."