CHL to NHL: two-time OHL champ Hayes scores twice in debut with Pens

Former Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes forward Avery Hayes made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday.

In a 5-2 win over Buffalo, Hayes scored twice in 10:09 of action where he also recorded six shots and two hits. Hayes is the third player in Penguins history to score twice in his NHL debut.

Across four seasons in the OHL, Hayes twice won an OHL championship. In 2022, he had a career high 79 points in the regular season with Hamilton but exploded in the postseason with 34 points (14 goals) in just 16 games. A year later, after he was acquired at the trade deadline, he scored 12 goals in 22 playoff contests to help Peterborough to OHL glory.

A sixth round draft pick in the 2018 OHL Draft, Hayes played 237 games in the OHL, 205 of which came with the Bulldogs. He tallied 106 goals and 203 career points throughout his four-year career.

As a pro, Hayes – who was undrafted into the NHL – had made 120 appearances with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ahead of his NHL debut.

First game.
First shot.
First goal.

Take a bow, Avery 👏 pic.twitter.com/oY2XcyCHWh

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 6, 2026