Avery Hayes headshot

Avery Hayes News: Shows off in NHL debut

Written by RotoWire Staff

Published on February 5, 2026

Hayes scored twice on six shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.

Hayes got into the lineup for Noel Acciari (illness), and that ended up working out fine for the Penguins. Hayes scored on his first NHL shot at 9:18 of the first period, and he tallied again before the end of the opening frame, giving the Penguins a lead that they never relinquished. The 23-year-old has earned 23 points over 31 contests for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and he'll likely head back to the farm team in the coming days to continue playing during the NHL's Olympic break. That said, this likely isn't the last we've seen of Hayes at the NHL level.

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