Kevin Hayes played with a heavy heart Tuesday night, appearing at Wells Fargo Center for the first time since his brother’s passing.
Hayes, who returned from a 12-game absence in the Flyers’ loss Saturday at Dallas, lit the lamp early in the second period, beating Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom for his first goal of 2021-22. An emotional Hayes immediately pointed to the sky in acknowledgment of his late brother, Jimmy, a former NHL forward for the Blackhawks, Devils, Panthers and his hometown Bruins.
An alum of Boston College, where he and his brother shared the ice as teammates for one season (2010-11), Jimmy died of an accidental drug overdose this summer with cocaine and fentanyl both found to be contributing factors. He was 31.
“It was a big goal,” said Hayes after Philadelphia’s 2-1 victory. “Trainers got the puck for me. I’m going to give it to Jimmy’s kid, Jimmy’s son Beau. It will be one I remember forever.”
“You could see it on my face. I think everything happens for a reason. I was the first guy to hug him,” said Cam Atkinson, who netted the game-winner in overtime for his team-leading 13th goal of the season. “It’s a big goal, not only for our team, obviously, but for Kev. And, like he said, we’ll remember this for a long, long time. It was special.”
Hayes, who joined the Flyers in 2019 following stints with Winnipeg and New York, underwent abdominal surgery in September, which required a two-month recovery. Signed through 2027, the 29-year-old tallied 12 goals to go with 19 assists in 55 games last season.
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