Former NHL Player, Jimmy Hayes, Passes Away At Age 31

The hockey community is left stunned this week after the sudden passing of former pro, Jimmy Hayes. Hayes played seven years in the NHL with Chicago, Florida, Boston and New Jersey. A native of Dorchester, Massachusetts, Hayes was a big part of the Boston hockey community. Hayes leaves behind a wife and two young sons.

A Life Of Hockey

Hayes grew up in a big hockey family in the Boston area. His younger brother Kevin currently plays for Philadelphia. He was also cousins with the Matthew and Brady Tkachuk of Calgary and Ottawa respectively. From a young age, it was practically guaranteed that Jimmy would always be playing hockey.

Both Hayes and his brother Kevin would play hockey at Boston College. There Hayes would win a National Championship with the Eagles. Soon after, Hayes would go onto play in the NHL for the Blackhawks. He would spend his first three years in the NHL with Chicago before heading for Florida.

Following a decent 19 goal season in 2014-2015, the Boston Bruins signed Hayes. For a Boston native, playing for the Bruins was a dream come true for Hayes. While he would not be a star in Boston, he did earn the respect of Boston fans for his efforts. He even scored a hat-trick on Boston ice to help solidify the fans’ respect.

Following his time in Boston, he would play a year with the Devils before his career in the NHL was over. He played one more year of hockey in the AHL for the Penguin’s affiliate before settling down in Massachusetts with his family. Hayes still remained in the hockey community though by appearing in podcasts such as his own, Missin Curfew.

A Sudden And Sad Farewell

Hayes was not the flashiest player on the ice, but he did leave his mark. Any of his teammates always talked very highly of him. Hayes was just a straight up fun hockey player. He was someone that anyone would respect and love to be around.

The hockey community in Boston is absolutely stunned at this news. It lost a very big piece suddenly and unexpectedly. Hayes was most likely along the way to become and even bigger fixture in the community as his podcasting career was beginning to take off.

Hayes is survived by his wife and two very young sons, just two years and three months old. Hayes will always be remembered as an integral part of what made hockey in Boston so special. Today, everyone’s thoughts are with the Hayes family. Not just in Boston, but the entire hockey community.