USHL: QA with Jimmy Hayes

Jimmy Hayes did not start the 2007-08 season as he had wanted, but he's recovering quickly with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. After a strong 2006-07 with the U.S. National Team Development Program, the overage Hayes had only two goals and six assists in 23 games and decided to leave the program in early February to play for Lincoln after the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets traded his rights to the Stars. Since arriving in Lincoln, Hayes has impressed and has been establishing himself as the top USHL forward prospect heading into the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

McKeen's recently had the opportunity to chat with Hayes and talked about coming to Lincoln, his time with the national team, his development as a player, his commitment to Boston College, and his favorite NHL player.

McKeen's: You were added to Lincoln's roster on February 6 and have played a number of games since. What are your initial impressions of the Stars and the caliber of play of the USHL?

Hayes: The Stars' program is second-to-none. It's the best program I've heard, in the USHL, and they prove it with everything we have there. We have a great coaching staff, we have a great facility, and we have the best fans in the USHL. So, it's just been a treat so far. It's been awesome to play here. And the USHL, the league, it's a great league, some great players, and they've had some great draft picks recently. So, it's kind of a better and better league every year.

McKeen's: How does training and practices with the National Team Development Program differ from what you guys do with the Lincoln Stars?

Hayes: Well, I think the Stars' practices are just as intense, because Jimmy McGroarty's a great coach and everything, he makes intense practices, so we have a good time during practices and stuff. The lifting, it's a little different. It's a little more intense over at the National Team, because that's what they did, try and develop their players more. Here, it's a league, you're playing a league game every night, so you can't train as hard. But, they train just as hard as we would train, but just not as often.

McKeen's: Tell me about your decision to leave the National Developmental Team.

Hayes: Well, it was a tough situation. I was an overage player, so it was tough. It's a great program and stuff, but I just wanted to become a more complete hockey player, playing in a league that you've got to play for your position every night. We're playing for second place every night here. So, I think it was a great jump for me and to get into that type of attitude and play every night.

McKeen's: With that, you were ineligible to play at the Four Nations Tournament and the Under 18 World Championships. Did that play a role in your decision?

Hayes: Yeah, I knew that going into it that I wasn't going to be allowed to, but I just wasn't having the season I thought I was going to have there. So, I decided I needed a change and the USHL was the best spot for me to go.

McKeen's: Last year you were the fourth leading scoring on the National Developmental Team behind [James] vanRiemsdyk, who went pretty high in last year's draft, Colin Wilson, who's expected to go pretty high in this draft, and Ryan Hayes, who's trying to find his way in major juniors. You mentioned things were not going quite as well in your 23 games there this year. What was happening and what were those difficulties?

Hayes: It was just a little different. I got to play on a line with van Riemsdyk and Wilson, and those are NHL superstars, they're going to be NHL superstars pretty soon. It's different playing, I mean, there's some great talent on that younger team, but I wasn't clicking, it just wasn't for me, and I decided I had to move on.

McKeen's: You and vanRiemsdyk on the same line, that's some size.

Hayes: Yeah, we had some big boys. I remember we had a tournament and they did a team average, height-wise, and the team average was 6-foot-1, so we had some pretty big boys. I had two guys bigger than me on that team.

McKeen's: It does seem as if the Developmental Team goes for some bigger players. Now, on the flipside, you did have a pretty good 2006-07. Tell me more about last year and how things went so well?

Hayes: Well, like I said, I was playing on a line with those two great players and I just seemed to find easy tap-in goals, here and there, with those guys. We were always just clicking and also, I played in all situations and we had a great coach with Ron Rolston and stuff, and he played me a lot. So, I got a chance to show my skills and it just worked out for me.

McKeen's: Did your icetime decrease this year with the program?

Hayes: No, they told me that they weren't going to do that. I just wasn't having the year that I had last year. I was hitting posts and not scoring goals like I usually do. So, it was tough for me.

McKeen's: I understand you had the opportunity to play with the National Developmental Team in 2005-06, as a Under 17, and instead, decided to stay in high school (Nobles and Greenough School). What made you decide to stay that one extra year?

Hayes: That one extra year, I just stayed in high school because it was, like, family issues and stuff. My mom was a little bit sick and stuff, and I had a little brother who was just getting into the school and wasn't sure if I was ready to leave home. I just thought I should play another year of high school and develop some more. I think it helped me skill wise, playing with some great forwards on that team as well.

McKeen's: The family probably appreciated it as well. What were some of the biggest adjustments you faced heading into the National Developmental Program coming out of Nobles?

Hayes: Well, right away, in prep school I could usually just skate around, not playing the body and stuff, and try to dangle. When I had to play there, playing against older guys, I had to work on my game, finishing checks. That's still a weak part of my game now, I've still got to keep finishing guys and play a little more physical. I am 6-foot-5, so I've got to figure it out sometime.

McKeen's: Sometimes with that height comes certain expectations, rightly or wrongly. With that, what are some of the main aspects of your game that you have been focusing on improving?

Hayes: This year with the National Team, they've always wanted me to become a more complete power forward, trying to finish guys all the time and playing big. I like to consider myself a pretty skilled player. Here, I'm trying to work on my skill, work on my banging, my skating and stuff. I think I move pretty well for a decent-sized guy. But, skating can always improve, though.

McKeen's: What are the finer points of your skating that you are looking at improving?

Hayes: I mean, it's always staying low. I kind of come to stand straight up and it's less efficient, not as powerful.

McKeen's: Oh, certainly, it's always helpful to maintain that power position. Harkening back to the National Developmental Team, what are some of fondest memories with the program?

Hayes: Well, last year we went to the World Under-18 Championships and we lost in the final game to Russia 6-5, but it was a great run with that team and we had tons of fun with that. That was great, but that tournament at the end of the year was one of the best experiences I've ever had.

McKeen's: What was it like, traveling around the world to play in these tournaments for Team USA?

Hayes: It was awesome. It's an honor to be able to wear the USA jersey every night. So, it was exciting. We always battled every day, and just going around to all those different countries, no one ever thought a kid from Dorchester would be flying around the world.

McKeen's: You were originally drafted by the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets in the USHL Futures Draft, but were traded to Lincoln in January for Mike Henderson and a swap of picks. Were you at all involved in that trade?

Hayes: No, I had nothing to do with that. I had my advisor, and he did most of the work there.

McKeen's: If I may ask, who is your advisor?

Hayes: Bob Murray.

McKeen's: Who's he with?

Hayes: He represents, well, my second cousin, Keith Tkachuk, and Tommy Fitzgerald, who played 17 years in the NHL. He represents a number of other guys, but not quite sure who entirely.

McKeen's: Is he with an agency or is he alone?

Hayes: No, it's just him. It's more of a family, relations with Tkachuk and stuff.

McKeen's: Having Tkachuk under your player list is going to get you some percentage.

Hayes: Yeah. I try to play like he does sometimes, but he's a tough guy, he plays the body a lot, too.

McKeen's: What was your reaction when you saw that you had been traded to Lincoln?

Hayes: I was thrilled. I'd heard great stories about how unbelievable Lincoln was and I was glad that I finally got to go to Lincoln to play in that arena there. It's a great atmosphere. Like I said, they have the best fans in the USHL, so I was really excited.

McKeen's: Who are some of your Lincoln Star teammates so far that impresses you the most?

Hayes: Well, you've got our captain, Jason Gregoire, he's phenomenal. He plays every aspect of the game. He's so talented offensively, but then all the little things he does in the d-zone. We have Brandon Bollig, the assistant captain, he's a great leader. He brings toughness and scores goals. He's been great so far. Then, our goalie, David Reekie, has been, I think he's the best goalie in the USHL right now. He's unbelievable, too.

McKeen's: Yeah, Reekie's been pretty hot, and then Kevin Murdock put in a good performance tonight.

Hayes: Murdock played great tonight. He gets thrown in the fire like that and he came up big for us.

McKeen's: At what point during the season did you start considering going to the USHL?

Hayes: I thought about going in mid-December. I thought about it, it just kind of flew by me and stuff. It was an option, because my season wasn't going to so well and I want to be a hockey player, so I needed to figure something out for me. Then, when I got traded, I decided it was finally time to move on.

McKeen's: What's it like coming to Lincoln after last season with the U.S National Developmental Team, and what would have been this season, too, to now have playoffs to look forward to?

Hayes: I've never done it. I did it in high school, but that's just a round, you play one game and you go on in the tournament. So, I'm excited for this. I can't wait for that. We're in the battle right now trying to get some home ice, and that'd be great, because it's tough to beat us in the Ice Box.

McKeen's: You played for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge and you were the only non-USHL player on that roster. How was it that it came to be that you were selected for that team?

Hayes: Well, people knew that I wasn't allowed to play in the Under 18s, and the Under 20 Challenge, I was a kid on the national team and they just gave me a chance to play, and it was great. We got a bronze medal there.

McKeen's: What were your impressions of the tournament and did it give you a glimpse into a possible USHL future?

Hayes: Yeah, I mean, right then that was early November, I wasn't really thinking USHL. But, I got to play with these players and see what it was like to be a junior hockey player and how they play there.

McKeen's: You committed to Boston College in June 2006. When did you first start talking with coach [Jerry] York and his staff and tell me about the recruiting process he led you through and what made you decide to go there?

Hayes: My freshman year, I had a pretty good freshman year at Nobles and it led to some college attention. My freshman year in the summer time, I started getting scholarship offers. I kind of fell in love with every school that gave me a scholarship. One week I was going here, the next week I was going there, but when it came down to it and I had to decide, I fell in love with BC.

McKeen's: Anything particular about BC?

Hayes: I mean, I think BC, the campus, it's an unbelievable campus. The coaching staff is unbelievable. Every year they're a national championship team, they have a shot to be one.

McKeen's: Yeah, pretty much. What were some of the other programs that showed interest in you that you also had some interest in?

Hayes: Well, I also thought about going to UNH (New Hampshire), BU (Boston University), Harvard, and Providence.

McKeen's: Ah, a couple of other Boston schools there for you, and UNH would have brought you back with James vanRiemsdyk. Lastly, who were some of your favorite players growing up and why?

Hayes: Right now in the NHL, I love watching Ryan Getzlaf. I try to model my game after his game. He's a big, skilled forward. He plays the body, but he's got a ton of talent, he's young, and I love watching him play.

McKeen's: Ryan Getzlaf is featured in Home Depot commercials, in case you want to paint your interior rooms in Anaheim Ducks colors.

Hayes: I haven't seen that, I'll have to watch for it.