Jimmy Hayes passed away. The words are absolutely heartbreaking. He was one of the best personalities we’ve seen in the hockey world, and in his short time with the New Jersey Devils, he made a huge impact on the fanbase and the locker room. That was the thing about Hayes. He was the kind of player that “locker room guy” came from. He wasn’t the most skilled, he didn’t hit people harder than anyone, and his intangibles were not going to get you out of your seat, but there was nobody who could turn around a locker room like Hayes.
Hayes’ final NHL season came with the Devils. He was a part of that 2017-18 playoff team that was incredibly fun to root for. There was something about that team that just worked. It’s hard to explain why it worked. Those players were hitting their stride at the right time, Taylor Hall had an MVP season, Keith Kinkaid had his best season ever, and all of the parts fit into place perfectly. One of those pieces was Jimmy Hayes. He was in and out of the lineup, but he made sure he did everything to his ability when he was out there.
When he wasn’t playing on a daily basis, he had no trouble playing host for the Devils social media channels. He did these Super Bowl predictions before Hayes’ New England Patriots took on the Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks to Devils Insiders for finding this. It was great to see the impact Hayes had on this team.
Hayes was always smiling. Always. He would get this team to laugh through the hardest losses. Look at all the losses the Devils had that one season he was here, Hayes was great in the postgame press conference when he was asked what happened. He didn’t need to give the typical “hockey” answers. He just needed to show there was light at the end of the tunnel.
This is brutal. We don’t need to know what happened. Just knowing that Hayes is gone at the young, young age at 31 is too much to bear. The hockey community is coming out to show their love for Jimmy Hayes. He was a teammate many couldn’t forget. Here are just a few thoughts from current and former Devils players.
https://twitter.com/stefannoesen/status/1429865422766149639
When I think of a “locker room guy” I think of Jimmy “Broadway” Hayes. Very devastating news, he will be missed by so many, he always brought a smile to the rink in our time together in New Jersey. Our thoughts are with Kristen and their 2 young boys. Rest In Peace bud 🙏🏼 https://t.co/UOX7jIdL64
— Blake Coleman (@BColes25) August 23, 2021
There have been times in my life when I’ve been at a loss for words, lack of understanding and just bewildered… today I’m hurting for so many reasons because we lost one of our brothers in the hockey world. I was fortunate enough to play with with jimmy at 6 years old and get pic.twitter.com/TzlAA8944V
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) August 23, 2021
That is just some of the hundreds of outpourings of support for Hayes. This family has such a hold on New England hockey that this death was going to hit harder. So many people loved Jimmy Hayes. His brother Kevin Hayes is still playing for the Philadelphia Flyers. He left behind two young children. This is unfathomable, and it’s hard to say much else. I’m going to be really honest with you, this makes me so very sad. This is obviously not a player we thought about a ton as of late, but every time his name comes up, it’s with a positive memory. Now that it’s all memories, it seems not fair. Our thoughts are with the Hayes family and everyone who was impacted by this death.