In February 2008, Hayes had his United States Hockey League (USHL) rights traded from the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets to the Lincoln Stars.

In the Fall of 2008, Hayes signed a letter of intent to attend Boston College of the NCAA's Hockey East conference.

Hayes' effort during the post-season helped to lift the Eagles over the University of Maine in a 7–6 overtime victory during the Hockey East championship game on March 20.

[4] Hayes and the Eagles won the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in Detroit at Ford Field.

[5] On June 26, 2010, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Hayes to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the 43rd overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (Bradley Ross).

During the 2013–14 season, on November 14, 2013, Hayes was traded, along with Dylan Olsen, to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Kris Versteeg and Philippe Lefebvre.

[12] As a restricted free agent, on July 1, 2015, the Panthers traded Hayes to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Reilly Smith and the contract of injured Marc Savard.

[15] Just over two months later, in the second game of a home-on-home series against the Ottawa Senators, Hayes scored his first-ever NHL hat trick against Senators' goaltender Craig Anderson, as the initial, fifth and seventh Bruins goals (the seventh scored with only 0.2 seconds of game time remaining) for a 7–3 home ice Bruins win.

[23] After his retirement, Hayes started the podcast Missin Curfew with fellow former players Shane O'Brien and Scottie Upshall.