 Rookie forward Ryan Hayes is featured in this edition of “Breaking the Ice with…” The feature showcases different Whalers so we can get to know them.
Selected by the Whalers in the 6th round (109th overall) in the 2005 OHL Entry Draft, Hayes spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program before going to Boston College this season. He signed with the Whalers at the trade deadline. The Syracuse, New York, native, took a few minutes before practice to help us break the ice and chat about playing internationally, all of his superstitions, and being a clean freak. » On the greatest lesson he has learned from hockey… “My greatest lesson would be to use your teammates – you never know what is going to happen to each other. We are kind of like a family and you never know what will happen in the future.” » On how he started playing hockey… “I began playing hockey when I was 5 in Syracuse. I actually used to watch figure skating on ESPN and then hockey at night. I really liked watching the hockey games and one of my mom’s friends took me ice skating. I started crying, but she took me a second time and I loved it, so it has worked out.”  » On his youth hockey highlight…
“We almost won States, but that doesn’t count. I would say that my main highlight just being on the ice when I was 5 and having all my family watching me every time was nice.” » On his most memorable goal… “My most memorable goal would be when I was 14 years old and playing for the Syracuse Stars. I scored the overtime game-winner with a broken wrist and we won the tournament.” » On his most embarrassing hockey moment… “Last year with the U.S. Team (National Team Development Program), we were playing Vermont in Vermont and the lights were out when we were skating and I didn’t see the red carpet. I went out, got stuck in the red carpet, and fell in front of thousands of fans.” » On what championships he has won… “The biggest tournament I won was a world championship 2 years ago with the U.S. Team. We won the World Under-18 Championships in Sweden. That would be the biggest won. I’ve won minor tournaments and stuff like that.” » On playing with the former Whalers from Syracuse… “Just in the summer I play with Dan (Collins), Tom (Sestito) and Tim (Sestito). Once in a while we play some pick up games, but I never played on the same competitive team as them.” » On who has influenced him in hockey… “My mother. She took so much time out of her schedule for me. She drove me to 6 a.m. practices. She is also one of the strongest people. She lost her mother when she was 13, so she ended up raising her family and me and my brother as well. She’s my hero.” » On if he has played with any of the guys before… “I played with Jeremy Smith in the U.S. Festival Camps in the summer. We played together once.”  » On who he tries to model his game after…
“Right now, it is Tim Connolly from the Buffalo Sabres. He’s from Syracuse as well. He scores a lot of goals which is nice and I try to do that.” » On playing with the U.S. National Team Development Program… “It was the best part of my life so far with hockey. It created another family with those guys. The international experience was amazing. Not many 16 or 17 year olds get to travel the world like we did. It was just a good experience for us. The competition was great the past two years.” » On the toughest player he has played against… “I would say Erik Johnson would probably be the hardest for me. I played with him and practicing against him was the hardest thing.” » On picking major junior after starting the season at Boston College… “Going to college was just on the table at the time and I thought it was best to keep my options open. I could have jumped to the OHL a few years ago, but I didn’t feel I was ready to play at this level. Going to college was good to keep the doors open, but things didn’t work out with playing and I didn’t do as well as I thought I would, so I decided to come to Plymouth in January and see how things went. Things are going pretty well right now.” » On the difference between college lilfe and the OHL… “College is more structured. You have to wake up in the morning to go to your class - there’s 9, 10, and 11am classes. Here in the ‘O’ I just take online classes, so I usually get up to come to the rink at 10, but I can do my classes whenever, which is nice. You don’t always have to go into a school. In college there is more to do in a smaller place.” » On getting hit in the face by a slapshot against Kitchener two weeks ago… “I don’t know how many stitches, but it was my first time getting hit in the face with a full slapshot. It was kind of scary spitting up all the blood since it was my first time, luckily I didn’t break my jaw or any teeth – that was what my mom was concerned about. It was just scary for me. It was hard to eat for a week and a half because I couldn’t really open my mouth – most people saw that. It’s going well now; I finally have the stitches out, except for the ones on the inside of my mouth, but I’m recovering.”  » On shootouts…
“Me, (Chris) Terry, and (Andrew) Fournier practice weird moves in practice. I learned a lot of stuff over the years from Rob Schremp (former London Knight from Syracuse) and the crazy moves that he comes up with. I just like to have fun out there. In the shootouts, there’s a lot going through your mind, but you just have to relax. It’s good now actually because I used to go first a lot when I was with the U.S. Team. Now I can kind of get a feel for what the goalie is going to do with the other guys going first. I kind of learn from them and see what the goalie is going to do.” » On what he should bring to the team… “I think I should bring a lot of offense. I want to get a lot better in the D-zone though. I want to be a two-way player and a key player for the team down the road, in the playoffs, and next year.” » On billet life… “My billet life is great and things are going well right now. The kids are great. The family is really nice and I always get the home cooked meals. I actually went and saw my first billet hockey game 2 days ago since they were playing in the States. I’m a neat freak. I think I get that from my mom’s side of the family. They always have everything clean and organized. I’m always doing laundry. She taught me all that stuff. I think it’s a disease or something; I don’t think it’s my fault.” » On if he has any superstitions… “I have a lot. Outside of hockey, I have to lift my feet and won’t let anything touch when I go over railroad tracks. For a yellow light, I always have to kiss my hand and touch the top of the roof. Hockey-wise it’s difficult this year because I always like to go out last, but we have a lot of veterans and being a rookie it is hard. I like to be the first one dressed and to the rink. I hate if people touch my sticks before a game. I absolutely hate it. I don’t want anyone touching them. That’s my biggest one.” » On if he has any nicknames… “Just Hayesy, everyone just adds a ‘y’ to their last name in hockey.” » On his typical day… “I just like to relax, talk to friends back home online with facebook. In the summer I golf all the time.” » On his pre-game routine… “I get up around 10 and come to the rink to do my sticks. Then I go home and nap for at least two hours, wake up and make spaghetti. Then I get ready for the game, go over to the rink about 4:30 or 5 and tape my sticks and do everything else.”  » On if there is anything behind his jersey number 10…
“I played with John Leclair’s nephew when I was younger and we all got his card with his number on it, so I thought why not. I used to have all these crazy numbers like 3 and other defenseman numbers when I was younger. So I picked 10 and then I started liking Pavel Bure and it kind of stuck.” » On what he'd be doing if he didn't play hockey… “I would definitely be playing lacrosse or golf. I love lacrosse. I played and had to make a big choice and chose hockey instead.” » On his dream goal… “Everyone always thinks Stanley Cup Finals, Game 7, in overtime, but I don’t know what goalie. I would say (Henrik) Lundqvist from the (New York) Rangers. He has won a gold medal, so he has some good experience.” » On the craziest thing that has happened on the road… “I was in Vienna 2 years ago with the U.S. Team and we all went out to dinner one night. We were all in our dress clothes because we had just gotten off the bus. I was running across the highway – it was a four lane road – and in Europe I didn’t know it was double curbs, so I jumped over the first curb and hit the second one and fell in my dress clothes and tumbled in the rocks and everything. It was embarrassing in front of the whole team.” » On what reality TV show he'd be on… “I would be on Real World. I would probably be the crazy guy causing all the drama in the house. It just seems like so much fun. It doesn’t seem like they do much. They just live in a nice house and have fun every night.” » On his funniest teammate… “Either Fournier or Terry. One of those two. They always seem to keep the laughs going.”  » On what one thing he could not live without…
“My family.” » On his dream vacation… “Disney World. My family always went to Disney World when we were younger and we actually might go this summer since I’ll have some free time. It will be nice.” » On the person he'd most like to meet… “Lance Armstrong. He battled cancer and everything. I would want to see what his life is like even though he has been accused of using steroids. I just think it would be interesting to see how he lives.” » On if he'd change any rules in hockey… “Maybe less penalties or figure out a way to score more goals. I don’t know. I really don’t pay attention to the rules. I don’t get that many penalties anyway, so it doesn’t matter.” » On what other players he would want on the ice with him… “Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Nick Lidstrom, and Bobby Orr – a little old school. In goal I’ll go with (Martin) Brodeur.” -Natalie Shaver, February 28th, 2008- -- Other Players' "Breaking the Ice" Features -- | 
