Still mourning, Hayes begins Pens camp

Starting up with a new club is routine enough for Kevin Hayes.

A veteran winger entering his 12th NHL season and first in Pittsburgh, the Penguins are Hayes’ fifth team.

Prior transitions have prepared Hayes for getting underway in new surroundings, which he did Wednesday as the Penguins opened preseason camp in Cranberry.

But nothing could have possibly served as a guide for Hayes in having to show up to work following the unfathomable Aug. 29 tragedy that saw star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, killed by a suspected drunk driver in Oldmans Township, N.J.

Hayes, who played with both brothers at Boston College, continues to mourn the deaths of two cherished friends.

The Gaudreaus’ passing also comes just over three years after that of Hayes’ own brother, Jimmy, in 2021.

“It’s horrible news,” Hayes said. “It hit my life, my family’s life hard. It hit the hockey world hard. Unfortunately, I’ve been kind of dealing with stuff like this for a couple years. This was such an avoidable situation. Shouldn’t have happened. It’s one of my best friends. It’s still pretty soon after.

“Just trying to use his memories as a positive and think about him all the time. Trying to remember all the great memories that we had. I’m sure there will be ups and downs thinking about him throughout the season.”

Coach Mike Sullivan respects how Hayes has still suited up, both past and present, in the aftermath of multiple tragedies that have rocked his personal life.

So early into camp, Hayes does not yet have close relationships with many players in the Penguins locker room.

Regardless, the Penguins are dedicated to supporting their new teammate.

“Kevin’s endured some difficult tragedies here in his life the last few years and we have so much admiration for how he’s handled some really difficult situations,” Sullivan said. “He’s a high-quality person and it’s our job as his teammates to make sure that we’re there for him.

“We want to make him aware of that. I’ve talked to some of the leaders on our team about that very thing. I’ve talked to Kevin about that a little bit. We certainly are understanding that it’s a difficult situation.”

Several Penguins players also reflected on their own relationships with Gaudreau, a seven-time All-Star who put up 743 points in 763 career games over 10 NHL seasons with Calgary and Columbus.

Drew O’Connor was still in high school a decade ago when Gaudreau established himself in Calgary as a fulltime NHLer. Having worked his own way to the NHL ranks over the past two seasons, O’Connor brushed shoulders with Gaudreau regularly in Metropolitan divisional matchups between the Penguins and Blue Jackets.

Though the two were not particularly close, O’Connor, who like Gaudreau hails from New Jersey, remembered a player and person who was deeply admired in the Garden State.

O’Connor even used to skate in Gaudreau’s annual summer hockey tournament, “Checking for Charity.”

“I didn’t know him personally,” O’Connor said. “But as someone from New Jersey, he was a legend in high school hockey. He was someone that everybody looked up to. Probably one of, if not the best hockey players ever to come from New Jersey. It’s just a brutal story. It’s really hard to wrap your head around, honestly, with what happened.

“I know how big of an impact he had on hockey in New Jersey, inspiring a lot of people there and a lot of players. That tournament he (ran) every summer, he did a lot of great stuff for the community. That’s why he was beloved, him and his brother. It’s really heartbreaking. It’s hard to believe, honestly.”

Fellow winger Emil Bemstrom played the entirety of his NHL career dating back to 2019-20 with the Blue Jackets before being traded to the Penguins last February.

In 2022, the Blue Jackets made a major splash on the free agent market by acquiring Gaudreau after eight solid campaigns with Calgary.

For the next two years, up until Bemstrom departed for Pittsburgh, he was locker neighbors with Gaudreau.

“Probably one of the most kind people I ever met,” Bemstrom said. “Absolute teammate (and) took care of everyone even though he didn’t talk too much. He was just one of those guys with a smile all the time. It’s just sad to see this happen.”

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made Gaudreau’s acquaintance this past spring, when the two suited up for the United States at the IIHF World Championship tournament in Czechia.

While it marked the first time he’d ever interacted with Gaudreau, Nedeljkovic left with an appreciation of his skill and character.

Following Gaudreau’s tragic passing, everything that Nedeljkovic has heard in the form of tributes and remembrances tracks with what he experienced during their time together with USA Hockey.

“The hockey stuff, yeah, how awesome of a player he was, but an even better person,” Nedeljkovic said. “That speaks volumes to the type of man he was, father he was and friend he was. It always comes back to the person you are at the end of the day. It’s terrible. I feel bad for his family and what they’re going through. There’s never enough you can say to make it better.”

“He was a guy that loved the game. He just wanted to play and have fun. He was a really nice guy off the ice, as well.”

As Hayes navigates through a highly difficult stretch in his life, Sullivan is hopeful that the ramping up of hockey might offer Hayes an escape, however minuscule.

“Sometimes, these guys find a certain haven on the ice because it’s what they love to do and it gives them the ability to immerse themselves in something that they love to do,” Sullivan said. “In some small way, that might make these difficult life situations just a little bit easier. But they’re not easy, and we’re all aware of that.”