Penguins’ Avery Hayes stunningly scores first NHL goal on first shot in debut

The Pittsburgh Penguins head to the Olympic break with a smile, and for forward Avery Hayes, he’s doing so with a memory to remember forever.

Making his NHL debut on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, Hayes did not waste much time before he lit the lamp for the first time ever in the league, as he found the back of the net right on his very first shot on goal.

The 23-year-old Hayes had a golden opportunity to score when he found himself on a breakaway 10 minutes into the opening period. He fired a wrister that went right by Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon to put the Penguins on the board and tie the score at 1-1.

Here’s a video of that play and the sweet reaction from Hayes’ family, who were in the stands to watch him break into The Show.

FIRST GAME, FIRST SHOT, FIRST GOAL FOR AVERY HAYES

And look at the family's reaction! pic.twitter.com/dSEmL6VhII

— NHL (@NHL) February 6, 2026

As if that was not enough to make his night memorable, Hayes scored another goal late in the first frame to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.

AVERY HAYES HAS TWO IN THE FIRST PERIOD OF HIS NHL DEBUT!!!

And how about that pass by Anthony Mantha?! pic.twitter.com/nDzcbY5b34

— NHL (@NHL) February 6, 2026

With his goals, Hayes became just the first Penguins rookie in nearly 10 full years to score a pair in his first NHL game since Jake Guentzel did so back in November 2016.

Hayes seemingly couldn’t believe his incredible debut.

“Honestly, I kind of blacked out a bit there,” Hayes told Penguins reporter Hailey Hunter in an interview about his goals.

Hayes’ huge performance did not go to waste, as Pittsburgh came away with a 5-2 victory to snap a two-game losing skid and improve to 29-15-12.

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