Michigan Roots: Avery Hayes' Hockey Journey and Family Ties

Michigan Roots: Avery Hayes' Hockey Journey and Family Ties

Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty have strong ties to Michigan. Hayes, a Westland native, and McGroarty, who moved to Detroit to pursue hockey, both spent their summer training in Michigan. Hayes has a family cottage in the Upper Peninsula near Michigan Tech University, where they spend time every summer. If not pursuing a hockey career, Hayes would consider living in northern Michigan and working as a firefighter. He credits his parents for supporting his hockey journey despite the costs involved.

Avery is the oldest of four brothers, all of whom are involved in hockey. They work out together and have followed in the footsteps of their uncle Bobby Hayes, a former college hockey player at the University of Michigan. Avery's uncle has been a source of advice and inspiration for him throughout his career. He emphasizes the importance of self-belief and trusting the work put in to achieve success.

Growing up as a Red Wings fan, Avery admired players like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. He enjoys watching hockey highlights on YouTube but admits to being behind on movies and TV shows. His favorite show is Game of Thrones, which he watched for the first time recently and highly recommends to others. Avery also shares that he is a quarter Japanese, with his paternal grandmother hailing from Japan. He appreciates her cooking, especially her sushi and pork chops.

While traveling to Japan is on his bucket list, Avery's family from Japan has visited him in the United States. They have watched him play hockey and stay in touch through social media. Avery values his Japanese heritage and the connection he has with his family from Japan.