NHL: Jimmy Hayes honored by young hockey players in hometown funeral

The town of Dorchester, Massachusetts said goodbye to hometown hero Jimmy Hayes. It was a tearful ceremony as his loss touched so many.

Hayes’ younger brother, Kevin, plays for the Philadelphia Flyers and honored his memory by recalling a story of how he touched the life of a young boy with cancer.

“After the game, Jimmy brought Michael and his dad into the locker room and asked him who his favorite player was and said, ‘it didn’t have to be me,. Michael said it was David Krejci,” Kevin tearfully recalled. “So Jimmy brought him over to Krejci’s locker and had them hang out together for almost 20 minutes. After meeting his favorite player, Jimmy stayed with Michael, taking pictures and giving him sticks and a bunch of Bruins swag.”

“Unfortunately, Michael passed away just a month later. His dad told us it was the greatest night in his son’s short life,” he continued. “His dad was awestruck by Jimmy’s kindness and was so grateful that Jimmy gave young Michael one of the happiest days of his life.”