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Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Rising Star Forward in Latest Move

Originally posted on Hockey Unplugged | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Mar 13, 2025 5:41 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up yet another one of their promising young stars, as Avery Hayes has just been signed to a two-year entry-level deal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Avery Hayes to a two-year entry-level contract that begins in the 2025-26 campaign , President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas said. The pact runs through the 2026-27 campaign.

Hayes, 22, is in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, where he has established career highs in all major statistics this year. In 44 games, the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder has 17 goals, 18 assists, and 35 points.

He is the team's scoring and plus/minus (+17) leader. In his first two pro seasons, he has totaled 44 points (23G, 21A) in 73 games for the AHL Penguins.

Before turning pro, the Westland, Michigan, native played four years in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes, earning 203 points (106G, 97A) in 237 games.

He was also quite productive in the playoffs, where he recorded a very solid 54 points in 42 playoff contests.

Hayes helped his team with two straight OHL championships

Hayes helped Hamilton and Peterborough win two consecutive OHL championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as having played in two Memorial Cups, where he was able to put up eight points in 10 games.

Globally, Hayes represented the U.S. at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, appearing in four games with a goal and an assist.

A non-draft signing, Hayes was signed to an AHL contract with the WB Penguins before the 2023-24 season.

Fans of the NHL Penguins are hopeful to one day see him do some damage up in the big leagues, but for now, they can watch him further grow down in the AHL.

This article first appeared on Hockey Unplugged and was syndicated with permission.

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