Hooked on a Feeling

Flyers center Kevin Hayes is fully aware that there are issues much more important and far-reaching than ice hockey at stake during the global coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, he can't help but long for the team to return to the ice.

"I miss going to the rink every day, seeing the guys, the coaches," Hayes said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. "I miss playing in front of our fans."
Over the course of the 2019-20 season, Hayes has said repeatedly that he has never had more fun in the NHL than he has this year. There is a very close-knit chemistry inside the locker room -- James van Riemsdyk has called Hayes "the straw that stirs the drink" in the lively atmosphere that has emerged.
Hayes understands, however, that on-ice execution and a winning attitude does not automatically carry over even among the same group of players. There are a lot of factors at work.
"I felt as if our team had come together in a great way and we were really playing for each other and everyone was really playing into the system that (head coach Alain Vigneault) put together and now there's a possibility that we could never see the outcome of that," Hayes said.
"I mean, I assume we're gonna be this good all the time, but who knows if we're ever going have this feeling again? It's kind of sad that you can't go to the rink every day but everyone's dealing with this. It's not just us."
Hayes, who recently settled in a new apartment in the Seaport district, returned home to the Boston area when players leaguewide got the green light to resume their self-quarantines from wherever they make their primary off-season residence. Most of his family, including his older brother Jimmy, his three sisters, and his parents live within 15 minutes of each other. He credits one of his sisters, who is pregnant, with making sure the whole clan does what is necessary to minimize their risk of exposure to Covid-19.
To stay in shape, Hayes has a Peloton at his apartment, and works out regularly in a local friend's home gym. Like every NHL, he realizes that the lack of access to skate on a rink will need to resolved to recover something closer to game shape when the NHL pause eventually ends.
For entertainment, Hayes has fallen back on an old passion. He's also begun pursuit of a new skill.
"I became a gamer again. I haven't played Xbox in three years. Now I am fully addicted to playing Call of Duty. That's somewhat of a positive... I'll hit up [Joel] Farabee for Call of Duty," Hayes said.
"And I've started cooking for the first time in my life. We made eggplant parm and chicken tips last night. Turkey just with veggies the other night."
To stay in regular touch with his Flyers teammates, Hayes and the others message each other regularly.
"We have a Snapchat group. We've got a team text message group that's pretty regularly going. I send every day to kind of check in with guys and see if they want to play Xbox," Hayes said. "Michael Raffl sent a hilarious snap the other day. He shaved his head, so we were kind of giving it to him. I don't think he is too concerned because he lives in Austria and not going to see anyone for a couple of months."
Having spent all but a few months of his pre-Flyers career in New York with the arch-rival Rangers and with the Flyers lacking any fellow Bostonians on the roster, Hayes said that he did not know any of the Philadelphia players except van Riemsdyk very well before signing with Philadelphia. It did not take long, though, for close bonds to form. Hayes does not consciously seek out to be the resident quipster and nickname-creator in the room. He just lets his natural personality flow.
"I think I am a very positive guy. That makes people feel good about themselves. I remember when I talked to Chuck [Fletcher] when I signed, he wanted me to just be myself. This isn't the exact words but "we invested in you, we would like you to invest in us." It's been easy," Hayes said.
"It's an unbelievable group, not even the players, it's the equipment staff, the trainers, the nutritionist, the GM, the Assistant GM, all the people behind the scenes. It's an easy organization to enter and kind of feel great about yourself. Everyone's trying to get the best out of you and that's what I try to do with guys. I try to enter the arena every day pretty happy. For me, it's the best job in the whole entire world. I don't know where I would be without hockey."
Toward the end of his conference call, Hayes was asked how he comes up with the myriad nicknames he's called his teammates. He chuckled.
"A lot of just came right off the top of my head. Usually, a lot of it has to do with last names. Some are inside jokes. It's funny. It's an easy way to kind of show respect for one and another. Let everyone know they are a part of the team. A lot of it is joking around. I think it brings a team together," he said.
Some of the sobriquets are inside jokes among the players. In those cases, Hayes prefers to let the back story stay inside the room. He would not, for example, divulge how Matt Niskanen became "Steadzo Glensky."
Hayes chuckled again. "I think that one has to stay under wraps. Too many people have tried to figure out what it means."
Flyers fans have instantly taken to Hayes as a crowd favorite. While this has much to do with his on-ice productivity (including 23 goals overall, four shorthanded tallies and five game-winners), it also has to do with his fun-loving personality. The feeling is mutual, as Hayes quickly came to love the passion of the fanbase and to enjoy his interactions with Flyers fans.
The lack of hockey during the pandemic is frustrating for everyone. Hayes, however, remains grounded and regards the situation with a healthy dose of perspective.
"I know my worst days are definitely not comparable to everyone else's worst day," he said.