Avery Hayes is 18 years old, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and was not drafted during the last National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Montreal Canadiens have invited him to participate in the team's rookie camp, which will begin in early September. He could certainly impress some with the magic he performs on the ice.
The young American, who is a product of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL and spent last season with the HK Levice, has a phenomenal vision as you can see in the video above.
Hayes creates lanes for his teammates with his patience with the puck, crisp stick handling and sudden change of direction. He waits until the opponent has their eyes on him before distributing the puck to a teammate who is unmarked, he quickly identifies the options that are emerging, and then sends a sliding or lobbing pass to them.
Of note, Hayes will return to the Bulldogs this year to continue his development with the junior team. In the 2019-20 season, he had a total of 29 points, including 15 goals, in 42 games with the Bulldogs. In 2020-21, while playing for HK Levice, he capped the season with a record of nine points in 14 games, which is excellent.
