One of the newest Bruins, Hayes, a native of Dorchester, had dreamt his entire life of playing for the hometown team. After four years in the league, his dreams have come true after General Manager Don Sweeney acquired him from the Florida Panthers — and signed him to a three-year contract on Monday — in exchange for Reilly Smith and Marc Savard’s contract on July 1.
“This has been a dream come true for me, to come home to my hometown with my family and have this opportunity to win a championship for the city is a dream come true,” Hayes, who was traded from the Blackhawks to the Panthers in November, 2013, said in his first words with the Bruins’ scribes at TD Garden.