Throughout the game, Hayes showed that he has promise to develop into a great energy player. Playing on a line with Tag Bertuzzi and Logan Morrison, Hayes finished the game against the Spirit with a primary assist. Offensively, Hayes was not afraid to go the rough areas of the ice. He battled hard in and around the net and was great at being able to find open space in the slot. One play where this was evident came near the end of the first period. Bertuzzi was carrying the puck into the OZ and Hayes was standing undetected on the blueline. Hayes snuck in behind the play and Bertuzzi was able to find him in the slot for the scoring chance. His skating ability is also something to behold. With his great, low stance and ability to create speed with powerful crossovers, Hayes is able to get up to speed relatively quick. He is great at picking up speed in the neutral zone and attacking open lanes. Defensively, he had his ups and downs. When he was on his game, Hayes was good at using his stick to cut off passing lanes and keeping his opponents to the outside, but his defensive positioning looked rough at times. One play that comes to mind came in the first period. The Bulldogs’ defender had the puck in the corner and slid it around the half-wall. If Hayes had been in the right position, he could have received the pass and started the transition up the ice, but he was out of position down near the net. This allowed the Spirit defender to keep the puck in the offensive zone and it ended with a goal for the opponents. If Hayes wishes to continue to rise on scouts’ lists, he is going to have to show some improvements in those areas of his game.