Avery Hayes Delivers a Week to Remember, Earns AHL Player of the Week Honors
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - If you didn’t know Avery Hayes before this week, you do now. The 23-year-old forward just put together the kind of stretch that turns heads across both the AHL and NHL, earning him the Howie’s Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week award for the period ending February 8.
Let’s break down what made Hayes’ week so special - and why he might be knocking on the door of a permanent NHL stay.
Two Leagues, One Star
Hayes didn’t just have a good week. He had a career-defining week.
He kicked things off on Wednesday night with a clutch performance for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, netting the go-ahead goal in a 4-1 win over the Hershey Bears. Just hours later, he was on the move - called up to the Pittsburgh Penguins and hustling to Buffalo for his NHL debut.
What happened next? History.
Hayes became just the seventh player in NHL history to score two goals in the first period of his debut. Let that sink in.
First period. First game.
Two goals. And he didn’t just light the lamp - he helped spark a 5-2 Penguins victory, showing poise and finish that belied his rookie status.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Hayes returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday and capped off the week with his first career AHL hat trick - including the overtime game-winner - in a 4-3 thriller, again against Hershey. That’s two game-winners in the AHL, two goals in his NHL debut, and a hat trick to wrap it all up. Not bad for a week's work.
A Hot Hand and a Hot Streak
Hayes is riding a wave right now, and it’s not just a flash in the pan. He’s found the back of the net in four straight AHL games and is on a personal-best seven-game point streak.
His season totals? 16 goals and 10 assists through 32 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - strong numbers for any forward, especially one still finding his footing in the pro ranks.
This is Hayes' third season in the AHL, and he’s clearly taken a leap. Across 121 career AHL games, he’s now totaled 45 goals and 32 assists, showing consistent growth since his early days on an AHL-only contract. That changed last March, when Pittsburgh rewarded his development with a two-year NHL deal - and based on what we just saw, that investment is already paying dividends.
Penguins Keep the Honors Rolling
Hayes is the latest in a string of Penguins players earning league-wide recognition. He follows defenseman Matt Dumba, who took home AHL Player of the Week honors just last week, and forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who earned the nod back in December. That’s three weekly honors for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season - a testament to the talent pipeline Pittsburgh continues to build.
What’s Next
With the AHL All-Star Break underway, Hayes and the Penguins are catching their breath. But the action picks back up on Valentine’s Day, when they host the Syracuse Crunch at Mohegan Arena. Given Hayes’ recent play, all eyes will be on No. 21 to see if he can keep the magic going.
From a midweek call-up to a historic NHL debut and a hat trick to close things out, Avery Hayes just authored one of the most electric weeks we’ve seen in the AHL this season. If this is the start of something bigger, Pittsburgh might have found its next breakout star.