Zack Hayes

Zachary Hayes (born April 24, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL). Originally undrafted by teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), Hayes has previously played for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Early life Hayes was born on April 24, 1999, in Calgary, Alberta, the oldest of four children. He played several sports as a child, including soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, and field hockey, but was the most passionate about ice hockey. Hayes spent his minor ice hockey career with the Calgary Northstars of the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL). He appeared in 27 games for the Northstars during the 2015–16 season, recording one goal and 10 points over that span.

Playing career Junior Selected in the ninth round (184th overall) of the 2014 Western Hockey League (WHL) bantam draft, Hayes' parents wanted him to explore other options, whereas he played two games for the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) before ultimately agreeing to a contract with Prince Albert. That season, Prince Albert won the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in 34 years, advancing to the 2019 Memorial Cup as WHL champions prior to being eliminated in round-robin play by the Guelph Storm.

After being named as Raiders team captain the following season, he set career highs with seven goals and 16 assists in 60 games, as well as a team-leading +37 plus–minus. Collectively, Hayes finished his major junior career with 15 goals and 79 points across 272 total games.

Professional On April 6, 2020, the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL) signed Hayes to a one-year contract with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. On March 30, 2021, the Golden Knights signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract that would take effect for the 2021–22 NHL season. Hayes was promoted to Vegas on March 21, 2022, making his NHL debut for the Golden Knights' 3–0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Wild.

In the following 2022–23 season, Hayes was re-assigned to begin the campaign with the Silver Knights in the AHL. After registering 1 assist through 14 games, Hayes was traded by the Golden Knights to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for future considerations on November 30, 2022. He was assigned directly to the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In reporting to the Wolves, Hayes made 14 further appearances, collecting three points before being traded for the second time within the NHL season, dealt from the Hurricanes to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Jack Dugan at the league's annual trade deadline. He would subsequently finish the season with the Devils' AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. He returned to North America after just a single season overseas, signing a one-year AHL contract with the Laval Rocket, the top affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, on July 22, 2024.

On July 2, 2025, Hayes agreed to a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Admirals for the 2025–26 season.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2014–15 Calgary Northstars AMHL 32 2 0 2 8 3 0 0 0 0 2015–16 Calgary Northstars AMHL 33 2 11 13 34 7 0 3 3 8 2015–16 Canmore Eagles AJHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 2015–16 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2016–17 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 72 2 10 12 82 — — — — — 2017–18 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 71 3 14 17 98 7 0 2 2 6 2018–19 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 68 3 24 27 74 23 1 2 3 10 2019–20 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 60 7 16 23 68 — — — — — 2020–21 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 35 2 5 7 26 5 0 1 1 0 2021–22 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 54 2 8 10 66 2 0 1 1 0 2021–22 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2022–23 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 14 0 1 1 13 — — — — — 2022–23 Chicago Wolves AHL 14 2 1 3 7 — — — — — 2022–23 Utica Comets AHL 15 1 3 4 9 3 0 0 0 6 2023–24 Vaasan Sport Liiga 53 1 8 9 119 2 0 0 0 2 2024–25 Laval Rocket AHL 46 2 6 8 51 5 0 1 1 12 2025–26 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 36 1 1 2 20 — — — — — NHL totals 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —

Awards and honours Award Year RefWHL Ed Chynoweth Cup champion 2019