Hayes takes off Rangers jersey to become New York tour guide

NEW YORK -- So you're lucky enough to come into New York to ring in the new year and you even have tickets for the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field between the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres on Monday (1 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV). Surely your friends and some family members must be jealous.
Now you also can tell them your tour guide for this visit to the Big Apple is New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes, a Boston native living in Manhattan and soaking up everything the city offers.

Before Hayes plays in the annual New Year's Day outdoor game, he wants you to experience some of his New York City favorites, from restaurants to shopping to attractions.
"There's so much to do here," Hayes said. "You can basically do a memorable thing every two hours you're in the city."
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Where should they start?
"Go down to the bottom of Tribeca and check out the [9/11 Memorial and Museum]," Hayes said. "Everyone likes to go to Times Square but I'd say stay out of there around this time."
But don't stay out of Central Park, Hayes said.
"I like taking the subway up to Central Park," he said. "When it's relatively nice out there's a lot going on up there, a lot of performances."
Speaking of performances, what about Broadway? Any recommendations?
"I go to Broadway a lot," Hayes said. "Nasher [Rangers forward Rick Nash] is a big Broadway guy too. If you can get tickets, I would suggest a Broadway show. If you can get into 'Dear Evan Hansen' or 'Chicago,' I'd go. I was never a theater guy until I got here. I love going to shows. They're awesome."
And don't miss the shopping New York has to offer of course.
"I like to walk down Fifth Avenue and I like to go to SoHo a lot and just walk around," he said. "I like Kith. It's a trendy store for clothes and shoes. There's a ton of candy stores too. IT'SUGAR is really good. Dylan's Candy Bar is really good."

Looks like we found Hayes' weakness.
What about dining, which New York is so famous for?
"Marc Forgione in Tribeca or ABC Kitchen on 18th and Park," Hayes said. "If they're looking for Italian, go to Valbella in the Meatpacking District. Those are my three spots. I take mostly family there but I've taken some friends to those spots. ABC Kitchen is probably the best price range. The other two are pretty pricey, but they're good."
And what if someone just wanted to get a drink or a burger and hang with some friends?
"While We're Young Kitchen and Cocktails in the Village is good for some different drinks," Hayes said. "For a sports bar, Ainsworth is really fun. There are a couple of them. Go to the one in Chelsea on 26th. TVs lining the walls. The best burger joints are Wilfie & Nell in the West Village. That one is unreal. It's my favorite. Smith & Mills in Tribeca is really good."
New York currently is going through a cold spell, so Hayes said he's not sure if people are going to want to take out a Citi Bike and ride it on the path alongside the West Side Highway, but it's something he thinks everybody should do if they want to brave it.
"I do it all the time when it's nice out," he said.