It was an emotional night in the City of Brotherly Love when Flyers star Kevin Hayes returned to home ice. Hayes scored his first goal of the season and told reporters in an interview that he is going to give the puck to his nephew, the son of the late Jimmy Hayes.
“It'll be one I'll remember for forever,” Hayes said about his first goal back.
Kevin has been spending time with his nephews following the loss of his brother, a former NHL star himself, who passed suddenly in August. When he scored the tying goal Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames, Hayes pointed upwards in honor of his older brother.
Kevin Hayes scores his first goal of the season and points up to the sky for his late brother Jimmy pic.twitter.com/ETydJflrhW
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 17, 2021
To make things even more emotional, Cam Atkinson, Jimmy's roommate at Boston College, scored the Flyers' game-winning overtime goal.
The Flyers center missed the first 11 games of the regular season due to an unexpected abdominal surgery in mid-September. While it is unclear, this could be related to a sports hernia he needed surgery on back in May.
Hayes has been through a lot prior to the start of the season, but he hasn't let it stop him from getting back on the ice with some of his biggest supporters. Following Tuesday's win at the Wells Fargo Center, he was awarded the Flyers' Starter Jacket, which the team gives to their player of the game.