Gavin Hayes

June 2023 – The Blackhawks signed Hayes to a three-year entry level contract. Hayes had a very impressive year with the Flint Firebirds with 41 goals and 40 assists over 66 games.  Puneet Sharma

July 2022 – Hayes was selected 66th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. Pat Quinn

May 2022 – Hayes’ rookie OHL season was decent enough to see him land fourth overall in Flint Firebirds scoring with 18 goals and 59 points in 67 games. The prospect’s pace of play and intensity helped him carry a decent load of responsibilities throughout the 2021-2022 campaign, and those responsibilities will grow with every passing year in the Junior circuit.

The 6-foot-1, 176-pound forward plays a true North-South game, displaying great defensive positioning, strong board play and high execution pace on and off the puck, but when it comes to cutting towards the middle, catching pucks in pivots, diversifying his rush patterns and playing give-and-go with his teammates, things can fall apart. From there, he can use his one-touch play to either find the back of the net or hit a teammate with an instant pass. When he’s moving his feet and carrying the puck, things can get difficult, but from a standstill, most of what Hayes tries, works. He’ll likely excel in a support role where he’ll have someone with him to carry the transitional load, gain the offensive zone and feed him in soft ice. Hadi Kalakeche