A 6-foot-5, 227-pound forward, Hayes can be a physical presence in a checking-line role, a complementary wing in a top-six role and a power-play presence because of his prolific shot. He also has the size to play in the corners and the skill to set up in the slot.
Hayes, whose older brother Jimmy also made the NHL, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 24 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft but attended Boston College.
A 6-foot-5, 227-pound forward, Hayes can be a physical presence in a checking-line role, a complementary wing in a top-six role and a power-play presence because of his prolific shot. He also has the size to play in the corners and the skill to set up in the slot.
Hayes, whose older brother Jimmy also made the NHL, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 24 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft but attended Boston College.
During his first three years with the Eagles, Hayes played a secondary role, scoring 17 goals and 67 points and helping Boston College win a national championship in 2012. Staying for his final year, however, turned out to be a great decision.
As a senior, Hayes helped form one of the most formidable lines in the NCAA, with Johnny Gaudreau and Bill Arnold. Hayes finished the season with 27 goals and 65 points, nearly equal to his point total from his first three seasons combined, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey. He also was a NCAA East First Team All-American as well as a First Team All-Hockey East selection. He helped Boston College reach the Frozen Four, where the Eagles lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Union College.
After the season Hayes did not sign with Chicago, became a free agent and signed with the New York Rangers on Aug. 20, 2014.
Hayes made the New York roster out of training camp and played his first NHL game on Oct. 12, 2014, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 19, 2014, against the San Jose Sharks.
Hayes finished the season with 17 goals and 45 points, led NHL rookies in primary assists (25) and was fifth in rookie scoring. He scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal on April 22, 2015, in overtime in Game 4 in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins, to become the first rookie in Rangers history to score a playoff overtime goal on the road.
Hayes, who finished seventh in voting for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie, followed with a 14-goal, 36-point season in 2015-16. He signed a two-year contract extension on July 22, 2016.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Hockey East First All-Star Team (2014)
- NCAA East First All-American Team (2014)
- Signed as a a free agent by NY Rangers, August 20, 2014.
