Zachary Hayes (born April 24, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently under contract with Vaasan Sport of the Liiga. He has formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Zack Hayes
Born (1999-04-24) April 24, 1999 (age 25)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position Defenceman
Shoots Left
Liiga team
Former teams
Vaasan Sport
Vegas Golden Knights
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2022–present

Early life edit

Hayes was born on April 24, 1999, in Calgary, Alberta,[1] the oldest of Trevor and Denise Hayes's four children. He played several sports as a child, including soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and field hockey, but was the most passionate about ice hockey.[2] Hayes spent his minor ice hockey career with the Calgary Northstars of the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League. He played in 27 games for the Northstars during the 2015–16 season, recording one goal and 10 points in the process.[3]

Playing career edit

Junior edit

The Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL) selected Hayes in the ninth round, 184th overall, of the WHL bantam draft. Hayes's parents wanted him to explore other options, and he played two games for the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League before signing a contract with the Raiders.[2] After recording 29 points in his first 144 WHL games, Hayes was named an alternate captain for the Raiders' 2018–19 season.[4] That season, Prince Albert won the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in 34 years. They advanced to the Memorial Cup as WHL champions but were eliminated in four games by the Guelph Storm.[5]

Hayes was named the captain of the Raiders for the 2019–20 season.[6] He set career highs that season with seven goals and 16 assists in 60 games, as well as a team-leading +37 plus–minus.[7] Hayes finished his junior ice hockey career with 15 goals and 79 points in 272 games.[8]

Professional edit

On April 6, 2020, the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL) signed Hayes to a one-year contract with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.[9] On March 30, 2021, the Golden Knights signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract that would take effect for the 2021–22 NHL season.[10]

Hayes was promoted to Vegas on March 21, 2022, making his NHL debut for the Golden Knights' 3–0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Wild.[11]

In the following 2022–23 season, Hayes was re-assigned to begin the campaign with the Silver Knights in the AHL. After registering 1 assist through 14 games, Hayes was traded by the Golden Knights to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for future considerations on November 30, 2022.[12] He was assigned directly to Hurricanes AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In reporting to the Wolves, Hayes made 14 further appearances in collecting 3 points before he was traded for the second time within the season, dealt from the Hurricanes to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Jack Dugan on March 10, 2023..[13]

As the conclusion of his contract with the Devils, Hayes opted to embark on a career abroad by agreeing to a one-year contract with Finnish club, Vaasan Sport of the Liiga, on September 20, 2023.[14]

Career statistics edit

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 Calgary Northstars AMHL 32 2 0 2 8 3 0 0 0 0
2015–16 Calgary Northstars AMHL 33 2 11 13 34 7 0 3 3 8
2015–16 Canmore Eagles AJHL 2 0 1 1 0
2015–16 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 1 0 0 0 0
2016–17 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 72 2 10 12 82
2017–18 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 71 3 14 17 98 7 0 2 2 6
2018–19 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 68 3 24 27 74 23 1 2 3 10
2019–20 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 60 7 16 23 68
2020–21 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 35 2 5 7 26 5 0 1 1 0
2021–22 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 54 2 8 10 66 2 0 1 1 0
2021–22 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 3 0 0 0 0
2022–23 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 14 0 1 1 13
2022–23 Chicago Wolves AHL 14 2 1 3 7
2022–23 Utica Comets AHL 15 1 3 4 9 3 0 0 0 6
NHL totals 3 0 0 0 0

References edit

  1. ^ "Zachary Hayes Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Redden, Trevor (February 6, 2019). "The Captains: Steady climb for rugged Hayes". paNOW. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  3. ^ "Raiders Sign Zack Hayes". Western Hockey League. Prince Albert Raiders. January 28, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Prince Albert Raiders announce leadership group for 2018–19 season". Western Hockey League. August 25, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  5. ^ Cicerella, Kyle (May 22, 2019). "Raiders WHL championship puts hockey back on the map in Prince Albert, Sask". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "Raiders Announce Leadership Group for 2019–20 Season". Western Hockey League. Prince Albert Raiders. October 15, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Hayes Signs AHL Contract with Vegas". Western Hockey League. Prince Albert Raiders. April 6, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Former Raiders captain Zack Hayes signs ELC with Vegas Golden Knights". Western Hockey League. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Golden Knights Sign Free Agent Defenseman Zack Hayes To AHL Contract". National Hockey League. Vegas Golden Knights. April 6, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  10. ^ "Vegas Golden Knights Announce Roster Transactions". National Hockey League. Vegas Golden Knights. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  11. ^ Pierce, Jessi (March 22, 2022). "Talbot makes 28 saves, Wild shut out Golden Knights". National Hockey League. Vegas Golden Knights. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  12. ^ "Canes Acquire Zack Hayes From Vegas". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  13. ^ "Canes acquire Jack Dugan from Devils". Carolina Hurricanes. March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  14. ^ "Defenseman Zack Hayes added to Sport blueline" (in Finnish). Vaasan Sport. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.

External links edit