Hayes' wake will be held on Sunday while his funeral will be held on Monday, according to Dorchester Youth Hockey president Jeff Hampton, who tells PEOPLE that the local streets will be lined with DYH players for the funeral procession.
The late star and his brother Kevin, who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers, both played forDorchester Youth Hockeywhen they were kids, and the Hayes family is asking that donations be made to the program in lieu of flowers.
Jimmy Hayes.Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty
“I was absolutely floored,” Hampton tells PEOPLE of his reaction to learning about the donation requests. “What a great family. Even after all these years, to think they would give back to the program where he started … it says a lot.”
“Jimmy never forgot where he came from,” Hampton says, recalling that after Jimmy and his Boston College teammates won a national championship, he brought them all back to Dorchester to meet with the youth hockey players and sign autographs.
“That’s what makes it so devastating on a local level,” Hampton adds. “Some of the older kids remember when they were younger and he came over with his BC team.”
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The Hayes family remained dedicated in the local hockey community even after Hayes and his brother were drafted into the NHL. Hampton tells PEOPLE that their dad — known as “Big Kevin” — regularly attended youth hockey games until the sport was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The hockey community is so small. Everybody is going to circle around the family,” Hampton says. “The hockey family takes care of its own.”
“Jimmy and Kevin started skating at our rink and went to the highest level, the NHL,” Hampton says. “When kids see families they know achieving this kind of success, they know that anything is possible.”
Jimmy Hayes with his sons Beau and Mac.Jimmy Hayes/instagram
The evening prior to his death, Hayes and his wife of three years,Kristen, celebrated their son Beau’ssecond birthdaywith 3-month-old Mac, who was born on May 5.
“I’m obviously shocked, but also just devastated. I’m devastated for his friends, his family, his wife and children, and for Jimmy,” Brian Day, who was the late athlete’s high school varsity hockey coach at Noble and Greenough School, tells PEOPLE.
“Jimmy absolutely loved the game of hockey, but he also loved being with people and being a part of a team,” Day recalls. “He was an amazing player. Everyone knew who he was as a little kid. He was passionate about the game, had a great skill set, and worked as hard as he possibly could.”
Calling Hayes a “very unselfish player,” Day adds, “He made players around him better. … He was invested in people and in establishing long-lasting relationships. He was just an overall fun-loving guy and you really felt like he cared about you. You walked away from every conversation with him feeling good.”
Kristen Hayes, Jimmy Hayes and their kids Mac and Beau.Lindsay Connors Photography
Hayes played 334 games over seven years in the NHL for four teams after a successful collegiate career and NCAA championship at Boston College.
In his post-NHL career, he was a co-host of theMissin Curfewpodcast. His last recorded show was in August.
source: people.com
