WINNIPEG, Manitoba — It was the first thing Kevin Hayes said, and it was the most poignant.
“My five years there, I came in a totally different human than when I left,” the former Rangers center told The Post in a quiet moment in the Jets locker room on Thursday, having been traded at this year’s deadline purge and taking a few moments to reflect on his four-plus years wearing the Broadway Blueshirt.
“I came in as an out-of-shape rookie with no money, going out all the time,” he said. “After I left, I feel like I was a real, true professional.