Hayden Hanes ’27 is a forward on the men’s ice hockey team from Greenwich, Conn. As the only captain from the junior class, Hanes has led the team to secure their most regular-season wins in three years, with six games still left to go. On the weekend of Jan. 9–10, Hanes turned in two beautiful games, first scoring once in a 6–1 obliteration of Williams and then putting up two goals and an assist in a decisive 4–2 victory over Middlebury. The pair of wins brought the team to 4–2–0 in conference, their best start since the 2022–23 season. For his performance, Hanes earned the NESCAC Player of the Week award. The Argus recently sat down with Hanes to discuss his award, his beginnings in hockey, and his leadership style.
The Argus: When did you first start playing hockey?
Hayden Hanes: I first started playing hockey probably around the age of five. My dad played hockey, so I skated on ponds with him when I was little, and then he took me to free skates and what not, which was fun. It was the first sport that I was really into. I also played lacrosse, but I always liked hockey more than all the other sports that I played.
A: What made hockey stand out above the other sports?
HH: It was really fun to just be on the ice. I think I was attracted to it when I was young, because it was really fast. And then it was always fun to play outside. And when I was little, I was obsessed with the gear. I originally wanted to be a goalie because I liked the gear so much. So that was probably part of it when I was little.
A: When did you begin to consider playing hockey in college as a real possibility?
HH: I wanted to pursue playing college hockey early in high school. I went to my public high school for a year, and then I went to boarding school. Boarding school hockey is where a lot of the good high school hockey is in the Northeast. So I went to Salisbury School for four years. The latter two years were when I was playing on the varsity team there; that’s when I got more serious about trying to pursue college hockey. Towards my senior year, I started talking to Wesleyan, and that’s when I got more interested.
A: What drew you to Wesleyan as the right place for you?
HH: I really wanted to be on a team where everybody was close and liked playing together and had fun doing it. And so that’s something that stuck out to me about Wesleyan. I didn’t really know anybody on the team. I did talk to Tim Sestak [’20], who was a goalie who graduated before and had a really good career here, and he had great things to say about the program. He’s really close with everybody that he played with, and so he gave an outstanding recommendation that really swayed me.
A: How was the adjustment of becoming a student athlete, and how did the upperclassmen help you with that transition?
HH: It was definitely a change in that the players were all bigger, stronger, and faster, which was something I expected because it’s college hockey. That was probably the biggest change on the ice; everybody was better, there’s more depth on every team, and it was a lot more competitive. The upperclassmen did a really good job of welcoming us and being good friends off the ice. I think our team has done a really good job in my time here and before of creating a good culture of friendship and being friends off the ice, which is something that’s made playing here really enjoyable.
A: Going into this season, what were your personal goals and the team’s goals?
HH: The team’s goal is to make the playoffs. The last two years, we haven’t made the playoffs, but we have a really good team this year, and based on how we’ve done so far, I think we’re in a really good spot. Definitely in a better spot than the last two years in terms of our playoff chances. My personal goals were just to help the team as much as I could, doing whatever is required to get us into the playoffs.
A: This year, as a captain, you’ve taken on a full leadership role on the team. How did you learn what it meant to be a good leader, and how have you embraced that role this year?
HH: The captains before me did a really good job of welcoming me and showing me what the team culture is really about. That’s making sure that everybody’s bought into the same sort of ideas, everybody’s on the same page about what’s important on and off the ice, and everybody’s putting the team before themselves, or any sort of personal success. So those are all things that I’ve tried to incorporate as a captain and try to rub off on some of the other guys.
A: On Jan. 9 and 10, against Williams and Middlebury, you went off for a three-goal, one-assist weekend and were awarded the NESCAC Player of the Week for your performance. What does it mean to you to get that recognition in helping your team to two decisive victories?
HH: It was great. It’s nice, because I felt like sometimes throughout the beginning of the year, I didn’t have great puck luck, so it was good to get a little bit of puck luck that weekend. But it was also really great, because we swept that weekend. It put us in a really good position going forward for the playoffs. Those were two big games with teams that were in a similar spot to us in the standings. So it was great to get that as a team.
A: That was also your second career two-goal game against Middlebury, so is there something you particularly like about playing the Panthers?
HH: I do like playing at Middlebury because they have an Olympic-size rink. I think they’re the only NESCAC that does. And my high school had an Olympic sheet too, so I played on an Olympic sheet a lot. And I just personally like it because there’s a lot more space, which is nice. Obviously, this game was here, but I do like playing at Middlebury, so excited for that this weekend.
A: The team is already having its best year since you have been here. What is different about this team that makes you believe you have what it takes to continue having success down the stretch?
HH: Last year, we had a lot of freshmen, and so we have a lot of guys now who have been here for at least one year and are definitely feeling more comfortable. A lot of guys have taken a good step in getting better this year and doing a lot of work in the off-season. So a lot of different aspects of our team game have improved, and that started with individuals being more comfortable and improving their personal games. I think that’s been the biggest step; a lot of guys have stepped up.
A: Finally, if you could give your first-year self a piece of advice about how to succeed on and off the ice, what would it be?
HH: I’d say, try to have as much fun as you can and make sure you’re working hard. You can’t always control everything you want to control, so just try to have fun, because you only have so many games left.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ethan Lee can be reached at ejlee@wesleyan.edu.
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