After earning his first NHL call-up and having a storybook debut in Pittsburgh’s last game before the break, scoring twice in a win over Buffalo, Avery Hayes returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and continued to tear it up.
He promptly netted a hat trick in his next AHL game, and got another 11 days later.
“Just playing with confidence and playing with great players, too,” said Hayes, who’s picked up 19 goals in just 36 AHL games this season, as he’s missed some time due to injury.
“They just set me up, and all that I had to do was finish. It was pretty easy, but it was fun.”
Pittsburgh decided it was time to bring Hayes back, with the 23-year-old forward joining the team for their practice on Monday.
“He played really well,” Penguins Head Coach Dan Muse said. “He was up for that game in Buffalo. He has continued to play really well (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). It’s also just seeing something different. We’ll see what the options might be. That’s all we’re doing right now.”
Hayes skated on the left wing of the top line, with Bryan Rust on the right wing and Rickard Rakell in the middle as the Penguins wait for Sidney Crosby to return from the Olympics. The captain did not play in Sunday’s Gold Medal Game on Sunday due to injury.
“We’ve got to get a status update there. There’s still more information that we need to have,” Muse said. “Whether it’s now or at any point in the future, if it’s something where there was a need there to move (Rakell) to the middle, I’d feel very comfortable doing it based on what I saw there earlier in the season.”
For Hayes’ part, he has played all three forward positions, so he would be happy anywhere. But
“It was fun,” Hayes said. “I mean, they’re great players, so I just have to do my job and play hard.”
That work ethic and tenacity has been the hallmark of Hayes’ game.
“He works extremely hard. He gets in on the forecheck, he wins battles…playing the right way,” Rust said. “Been given nothing and earned absolutely everything. You don’t do that without playing the game hard and doing it the right way.”
It has been quite a year for Hayes dating back to last March, when he signed his first NHL contract after joining the Penguins organization as an undrafted free agent. The last few weeks have been particularly exciting. But he’s trying not to get caught up in how far he has come.
“Today, just focus on the practice, tomorrow we have an off day, and on Wednesday, focus on practice again,” Hayes said. “Just take it one day at a time and go from there.”
