The Pittsburgh Penguins’ desire to develop a pair of brothers did not just begin last month, when they drafted twins Liam and Markus Ruck in the first and second rounds.
Before the Ruck brothers, the Penguins added the Hayes brothers: Avery Hayes having joined the organization before the 2023-24 American Hockey League season, followed by his younger brother, Travis, who was picked in the fourth round of the 2025 draft.
Avery Hayes, a 24-goal scorer for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL in 2025-26, went on to dazzle over 16 games with the Penguins, scoring two goals in his NHL debut Feb. 5.
Travis Hayes, 18, relished watching his sibling make such major strides as a pro hockey player.
“It’s been awesome,” the younger Hayes said. “He’s obviously my bigger brother, so it’s really cool to see what he’s doing and the big steps he took this year. To play 16 games in the NHL, for him to make that big step, I’m really proud of him. Proud to be his younger brother.”
Avery Hayes, an undrafted free agent who inked a two-year contract in March of 2025, now looks to be in pole position to compete for an NHL roster spot this upcoming preseason training camp.
His brother will continue a juniors career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League this fall.
The 2026-27 campaign will be Hayes’ fourth with the Greyhounds and, last year, he appeared in 63 games, scoring 16 goals with 24 assists.
While not as statistically robust as his 2024-25 season, in which he set career-highs in goals (21), assists (30) and points (51), Hayes still felt like he was able to improve his overall game.
“I feel like I became a more complete player,” he said. “Obviously, the points don’t show it of last year, but I think I took a big step in my whole complete game in doing all the little stuff right.”
At the moment, Travis Hayes appears to be plotting a similar course to his brother, who played parts of four seasons in the OHL before joining the AHL Penguins.
So how do the Hayes brothers compare and contrast?
“I don’t want to compare them other than they’re great kids,” Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said. “We love them. Their coaches love them both. Their teammates love them both. They work their tail(s) off. But on the ice, they’re different.
“Travis is a great kid. He gives you everything he has every shift. He’s been working on his shot and his puck skills. … He works really hard at this game. Will continue to do so and he’s coming on.”
An exciting moment this past spring was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton signing Travis Hayes to an amateur tryout agreement (ATO), allowing him to reunite with his brother for a brief time.
From being around the professional players and staff that comprise the AHL Penguins, seeing his brother, and gaining a further grasp on what it takes to make it to and play at the final level before the NHL, the ATO was a memorable experience.
At the Penguins’ recent development camp in Cranberry, Hayes was able to add even more feedback and work, which he’ll hope to translate into his game moving forward.
“You take so much from these camps, all the skating stuff to the little skills,” Travis Hayes said. “I’ve learned so much. It’s my second year here, so just trying to get better at those little skills they teach us and take it home into the summer and into next season.”