John Hayden (ice hockey)
John Hayden | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 14, 1995 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Known for | Playing as center for the Seattle Kraken in the NHL |
John Hayden (born February 14, 1995) is a professional ice hockey center from the United States, currently playing for the Seattle Kraken in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Early life
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Hayden relocated first to Denver, Colorado before eventually establishing residence in Greenwich, Connecticut. During his youth, he participated in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament representing teams such as New Hampshire Nike Bauer and Detroit Honeybaked. He completed his secondary education at Brunswick School prior to committing to play collegiate hockey at Yale University.
Playing career
Selected 74th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Hayden had previously spent two seasons competing with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the USHL.
After serving as captain for Yale during the 2016–17 campaign, he inked a two-year entry-level contract on March 15, 2017, and made his NHL debut the following day. Hayden netted his inaugural NHL goal on March 18 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his initial full NHL season (2018–19), he contributed primarily in a fourth-line capacity for the Blackhawks, amassing 3 goals and 5 points across 54 contests.
On June 22, 2019, Hayden was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for John Quenneville. Throughout the 2019–20 season, he appeared in 43 games with New Jersey, registering 3 goals and one assist. The Devils opted not to extend a qualifying offer, rendering him an unrestricted free agent as of October 8, 2020.
The next day, Hayden secured a one-year contract valued at $750,000 with the Arizona Coyotes. During the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, he participated in 29 games and tallied 2 goals and a total of 5 points. Despite being a restricted free agent afterward, he was not offered a qualifying contract.
On July 29, 2021, Hayden agreed to a one-year two-way deal with the Buffalo Sabres. Subsequently, as a free agent on July 14, 2022, he signed another one-year two-way contract with the Seattle Kraken.
In June 2025, while filming a promotional video promoting youth hockey within Alaska's Katmai National Park alongside Kraken mascot Buoy, Hayden encountered a grizzly bear that approached but ultimately withdrew without causing harm.
Personal life
Hayden is the son of Diana and Mark Hayden. His brother Will pursued studies at Wake Forest University, while his sister Catherine competes on the field hockey team at the University of North Carolina.
During his time at Yale, Hayden majored in political science and managed to balance academic responsibilities alongside his professional commitments with the Blackhawks. He graduated in 2017 and completed an internship at Pelican Breeze apparel company.
Regular season and playoffs
2015–16 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season Yale University ECAC 32 16 7 23 26 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season Yale University ECAC 33 21 13 34 62 — — — — — |- 2016–17 NHL seasonChicago BlackhawksNational Hockey League 12 1 3 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2017–18 NHL season Chicago Blackhawks NHL 47 4 9 13 54 — — — — — |- 2017–18 AHL season Rockford IceHogs AHL 24 5 12 17 7 13 3 0 3 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2018–19 NHL season Chicago Blackhawks NHL 54 3 2 5 27 — — — — — |- 2019–20 NHL seasonNew Jersey Devils NHL 43 3 1 4 77 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2020–21 NHL seasonArizona Coyotes NHL 29 2 3 5 37 — — — — — |- 2021–22 NHL seasonBuffalo Sabres NHL 55 2 2 4 84 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2022–23 AHL seasonCoachella Valley Firebirds AHL 47 17 16 33 58 10 1 1 2 16 |- 2022–23 NHL season Seattle Kraken NHL 7 2 0 2 7 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2023–24 AHL season Coachella Valley Firebirds AHL 65 15 11 26 73 18 9 4 13 10 |- 2023–24 NHL season Seattle Kraken NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2024–25 AHL season Coachella Valley Firebirds AHL 43 11 16 27 34 6 2 1 3 14 |- 2024–25 NHL season Seattle Kraken NHL 20 1 1 2 31 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–10 | Brunswick School | USHS | 28 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–11 | Brunswick School | USHS | 26 | 21 | 9 | 30 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–12 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 36 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 51 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–13 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 24 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–14 | Yale University | ECAC | 33 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–15 | Yale University | ECAC | 29 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NHL totals !269 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 321 !1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | }
International
Awards and honors
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