After 12 seasons in the NHL, Kevin Hayes will be headed to Russia to join AK Bars Kazan in the KHL on a one-year deal.
Kevin Hayes is taking his talents to the KHL to continue his professional hockey career.
After spending 12 seasons in the NHL from 2014-15 to this past season, Hayes has signed a one-year contract with AK Bars Kazan of the KHL, the team announced Tuesday.
The 34-year-old was a UFA after playing through the seven-year contract that saw him earn $7.14 million against the salary cap.
The last of Hayes' NHL career was spent with the Pittsburgh Penguins, as he suited up for them for the past two years. In 2025-26, he featured in 28 regular-season games, scoring four goals and eight points, followed by no playoff appearances in Pittsburgh's first-round matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.
At other points in his career, he played for the St. Louis Blues, Flyers, Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers. Most of his career was with the Rangers, where he spent the first five seasons of his career in Manhattan, featuring in 361 regular-season contests.
Since being drafted 24th overall in the 2010 NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, he's reached 805 regular-season games and 56 playoff games in the NHL. Hayes scored a total of 185 goals and 445 points in that span.
He wasn't a superstar by any means, but he was a solid middle-six forward. Hayes was also a finalist for the 2021-22 Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."
While most of his hockey and some of his best campaigns came with the Blueshirts, his single best season was as a member of the Flyers in 2022-23. It was his final season in Philadelphia before he was traded to St. Louis for a 2024 sixth-round pick. He notched 18 goals and a career-high 54 points that year.
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