As he enjoys a productive campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, 22-year-old winger Avery Hayes inked a two-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was announced Thursday.
Hayes’ deal begins in 2025-26 and runs through 2026-27.
Hayes, who went undrafted before signing an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, is the club’s fifth-leading scorer, having already set career-highs of 17 goals and 18 assists through 44 games played.
A 5-foot-10 right-handed shot, Hayes debuted with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2023-24, appearing in 29 games while contributing six goals and three assists.
Prior to joining the Penguins organization, he played four junior seasons in the Ontario Hockey league (OHL) from 2018-23 with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes, scoring 106 goals with 97 assists in 237 career games.
A native of Westland, Mich., Hayes captured OHL championships in 2022 and ‘23 with the Bulldogs and Petes.
Hayes is the fourth Penguins prospect to ink an entry-level deal this month, following seventh-round (No. 223 overall) 2024 draft pick Finn Harding, fourth-round (No. 111 overall) 2024 selection Chase Pietila and seventh-round (No. 215 overall) 2021 selection Daniel Laatsch.
