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The bizarre parking lot moment that defined Avery Hayes’ Penguins debut
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Avery Hayes made his Pittsburgh Penguins NHL debut in chaos, and it somehow turned into magic.
The Penguins’ own post nailed it. He got dressed in the parking lot!
That is the vibe of a same day recall, a quick drive, and no time to breathe.
Hayes did not stroll into this moment, he sprinted into it.
He got the call from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and went straight into game mode.
Then he stepped onto NHL ice Thursday in Buffalo and scored twice in the first period.
That is not a soft landing, that is a cannonball.
He is 23, and he was undrafted, meaning no draft year, no round, no drafting team, just grinding until someone could not ignore him.
Avery Hayes forces the Pittsburgh Penguins to notice
Pens fans have been begging for a jolt like this, and you could feel the “finally” through the screen.
Before the call-up, he had 13-10-23 in 31 AHL games this season.
That production travels when you play with pace and you attack the middle.
Pittsburgh closed it out 5-2, with Arturs Silovs stopping 26 shots.
The Penguins head into the Olympic break at 29-15-12, and this kind of story matters in a tight Metro.
Now the hard part starts, because the league adjusts fast.
But after dressing in a parking lot and scoring two in your first night, Hayes already looks like he belongs.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 6|122 ANSWERS The bizarre parking lot moment that defined Avery Hayes’ Penguins debut Should Avery Hayes stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins after the break? | ||
| Yes | 109 | 89.3 % |
| No | 13 | 10.7 % |
| List of polls | ||