A-Very Good NHL Debut

Avery Hayes is such a wonderful story. He joined the Penguins as an undrafted free agent on an AHL deal before earning his first NHL contract. And on Thursday in Buffalo, he added another amazing chapter.

Hayes became the third player in Penguins history to score multiple times in his NHL debut, joining Jake Guentzel (two goals on Nov. 21, 2016) and Rob Brown (two goals on Oct. 21, 1987).

He became the seventh player in NHL history - and just the fourth since 1917 - to score multiple goals in the first period of his NHL debut.

And Hayes is now the 12th undrafted player to score multiple goals in his NHL debut in League history (since the NHL draft began in 1963).

“Right now, I can't really put it into words,” said the 23-year-old forward, all smiles after Pittsburgh’s 5-2 win. “I'm just excited to see my family after they were able to make the trip. So, I have no words right now, but it was a ton of fun.”

His parents, Paul and Mandy, were also speechless.

“We’re all in tears!” Mandy said during the first intermission, after watching both of Avery’s goals. “Our youngest son (Elijah) is with us, he’s crying. We’re so happy. Dreams come true.”

“He’s just put in so much work,” Paul said. “He never gave up.”

“He deserves every minute, every goal. He put in his all to get where he’s at today,” Mandy said.

This day is a whirlwind for any player, but particularly for Hayes, as it was totally unexpected. It began with Hayes going to the rink in Wilkes-Barre for an optional practice, where he stayed off the ice and got a workout in.

Around 10:45 AM, WBS manager of team operations Derek Avery got a call from Penguins Director of Hockey Operations and Legal Affairs Vukie Mpofu and Head Coach Dan Muse. Pittsburgh had players dealing with injury (Rickard Rakell) and illness (Noel Acciari), so they were calling up Hayes in case they both couldn’t go. They wanted Derek to put Hayes on the phone to give him the news, as he didn’t have his device with him in the training room.

“I just went in there, he was in the middle of a stretch,” Derek said. “Trying to play it cool, but it’s like, let's get out of here as quick as possible.”

There weren’t great options when it came to getting Hayes to Buffalo on short notice. It would have been difficult to get a car service there quick enough. If they wanted to fly, it would have to be out of New York, which isn’t easy. Ultimately, it was decided that Derek would drive Hayes in his own vehicle.

“You limit your risk as much as you possibly can. And then it was just hold off, hold off until it's confirmed,” Derek said. “Once we hit 11:30, it became a reality. Then it was just all hands on deck. Got his equipment, said his goodbyes quick, got the meal that was prepared by our chefs in Wilkes in a to-go container, and that was it.”

They got in the car and quickly stopped at Hayes’ place, where he grabbed a suit and his toothbrush, and then Derek’s. From there, they began the 4.5-hour trek to Buffalo.

Meanwhile, Paul got a call from Penguins director of team services Jason Seidling around noon. Avery’s debut wasn’t official at that point, as they were going to wait and see if Acciari was well enough to play. “But when I talked to Jason, he said, we’re still going to get you guys there just in case he does play. We don’t want you to miss it,” Paul said.

Thankfully, the Westland, Michigan natives live just 10 minutes from the Detroit Metro Airport. So, like the boys, they quickly packed up and headed out to catch their flight.

“I was thinking about (his journey) the whole plane ride here, it just brought me back to when he was little,” Mandy said. “Tying his skates, it’s just like it was yesterday,” Paul said. “It went by so fast. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long.”

In the car, Avery was able to nap for two-and-a-half hours, even as Derek’s phone kept going off with work-related calls and texts, which is the nature of his job.

“I was trying to keep it quiet in the car for him, so you just don’t interrupt his nap,” Derek said with a laugh. “Try to keep everything as level as possible, like, what a normal game day would be.”

Hayes was awake for the one call he was hoping for: that he would be in Pittsburgh’s lineup against the Sabres. And not only that, Hayes would be slotting in next to his best friend, Rutger McGroarty.

“It was super exciting. I texted him, like, hey, I think we might be playing together,” McGroarty said. “Let's go out there and dominate.”

Hayes changed into his suit as they got closer to the rink, pulling into the loading dock at KeyBank Center a few minutes after 5 PM, later than his usual 4:30 PM arrival time. But Hayes made it in time for the team meeting.

“We shaved off some minutes. I don't know if he was speeding or what, but I woke up from my nap and it went from a 5:25 arrival to 5:05,” Hayes laughed. “It was good. I didn't have much time to think about the game, which, honestly, was pretty nice. It wasn't too stressful.”

Paul, Mandy and Elijah arrived around the same time, and were able to see Avery take his rookie lap.

Hayes’ first goal came on his first shot. Ilya Solovyov got the primary assist, while McGroarty got the secondary. Veteran Kevin Hayes, centering the two kids, made sure to pick up the milestone puck.

“It was a great chip, great exit out of the D zone,” Hayes said. “And I was just able to get by him, and I was lucky enough to put it low blocker.”

“He’s a dawg,” McGroarty said. “I think you saw the speed. But also, for him to bump the guy and get that space, and then he can snap the pill.”

Hayes’ second goal came late in the period. This one came off a beautiful pass from Anthony Mantha, with Hayes calling for it the whole way.

“We joked about it in the car coming up, that you know it’s going to be a good situation. He didn’t have to hear any of the outside noise. He got called up and that was it. Just go out there and play,” Derek said. “As we were three blocks away, we were like, it’d be pretty crazy if you could get on the stat sheet tonight. Then he gets two ticks in the goal column.

“It’s nuts. Honestly, unbelievable. It’s the magnitude of the day, but then you’re such a fan of the player. I don’t think I’ve celebrated a goal that hard working in hockey.”

That’s the thing about Avery Hayes – he’s absolutely beloved by everyone who knows him. He is a high-character kid who has earned everything he’s gotten, and sets a great example for his three younger brothers, including 2025 Penguins fourth-round draft pick Travis.

“He’s the perfect role model,” Paul said. “All the boys work out together, and Avery’s the leader. They’re all so close.”

“And they’re all so happy!” Mandy said. “We’re getting texts like, oh my God, oh my God! Can you believe it? He got two!”

It’s certainly surreal. Back in September, Hayes was lighting it up at the Prospects Challenge with Ben Kindel, who also had two goals tonight. Now, he played a key role in Pittsburgh getting a win against the red-hot Sabres.

“It was awesome. It's one of those things, anybody's first game, it’s a day they're never gonna forget. But this all came up this morning. The day that he's had, like, he woke up this morning not a thought of playing a game in the NHL. And so, the way it all came about is incredible,” Muse said.

“Thrilled for him, but also, he's a guy who's just worked for everything. So, I think just him having this day, the way he kind of continued to just work and not be denied to get this moment and then attack that moment the way he did was unbelievable.”