Last season sat sour with Kevin Hayes, so he did something about it.
The Rangers’ talented 24-year-old forward knew he wanted to have a long career in this league, and knew it wasn’t going to happen only though the deft touch in his hands. So he worked hard in the gym, he worked hard to get better defensively, and he worked hard at his previously putrid faceoffs.
He worked so hard, he inspired a newfound trust from coach Alain Vigneault. Hayes’ entire reputation as a player is in the midst of being rewritten, and he’s the one who started it.