"Beau races to door each time it beeps hoping it’s you" - When Jimmy Hayes' widow opened up about family’s grief after NHL star's death

Jimmy Hayes played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils. He retired in 2019 after a solid eight-year career.

Hayes passed away suddenly in 2021 at the age of 31. He is survived by his wife, Kristen, and two children, Beau and Mac.

A few days after Hayes' death, Kristen opened up about the family’s grief in a moving Instagram post.

"Missing your arms wrapped around me extra today. Still keep thinking your coming home. Beau races to the door each time it beeps hoping it’s you. Gosh, this is hard. I miss you so much."

Jimmy Hayes perished from a drug overdose

Jimmy Hayes had cocaine and fentanyl in his blood when he passed away in August 2021, according to his family.

In an interview, Kristen Hayes and Kevin Hayes, Jimmy's father, said they hoped that talking about their family's tragedy would prevent others from suffering a similar loss.

According to Kevin, his late son had sought help for a drug addiction that developed after he started using painkillers to address an injury.

"I'm an addict myself. I've been sober for a long, long time, but I know how potent this substance is. When it occurred, I was in shock, but after that, my mind began to make sense of things. I am aware of what abuse can do. I am aware of the obsession."

Hayes' passing shocked the close-knit New England hockey community. More than 8,000 people showed up for his funeral, and both the Devils and the Blackhawks honored him.