John Hayden faced a decision last spring whether to turn pro or return to Yale for his senior season.

Hayden was torn at the time. Playing in the NHL was his lifelong dream and signing contract then with the Blackhawks meant he would be a step closer to it. On the other hand, the Yale experience was pulling him back. He was going to be the team captain and getting his degree was important to him.

Ultimately, Hayden decided pro hockey could wait. He was going to enjoy a final year of being a Yale student-athlete.

A day after receiving his Yale diploma, Hayden was confident he made the right choice.

“Absolutely,” Hayden said by phone on Tuesday. “I’ve said it before, but from a hockey standpoint, it was the right decision. Academically, it’s nice being officially done having that diploma and now I can officially focus on hockey and have that as my sole profession. And then from a social standpoint, I have best friends on the hockey team for life, but all the characters at Yale. That’s what makes it special. To get back and be with all them and graduate on time with the students I’ve been interacting with for years now is special. It was a really exciting weekend. It’s nice to now be able to officially settle down and focus on training for next year.”

Plus, if Hayden had waited to finish up school, he wouldn’t have the memorable tale of swiping Cubs president Theo Epstein’s hat at Yale’s Class Day on Sunday.

Epstein, a 1995 Yale graduate, was the honored speaker at Class Day (read the full transcript of his speech here). When he was done, Hayden was invited to the stage to be a co-recipient of the 2017 William Neely Mallory Award, which is given to Yale’s top senior male athletes. Hayden received the award and then noticed Epstein had left something behind at the lectern.

“Yale has a tradition of wearing unique hats to Class Day,” Hayden said. “I went up with a Yale hat on. I noticed Theo had left his Cubs hat at the podium, so I ended up receiving my award and then taking his Cubs hat and putting it on in front of everyone. That was a fun moment.”

Did Epstein know who Hayden was?

“I don’t know, probably not,” Hayden said with a laugh. “But I received an award, and he did announce that I had played for the Blackhawks, so he did know by the time I was on stage that I had played.”

Hayden also left feeling inspired by Epstein’s speech.

“A lot of life lessons,” said Hayden, who officially received his degree Monday with his residential college. “One of them was about adapting and not just settling on what you’re comfortable with. He also discussed the importance of being bold. I think those are valuable lessons for all the Yale graduates moving forward.”

Moving forward, it is all about hockey for Hayden. While he did put off signing with the Blackhawks and giving up the chance to play in the NHL as early as October, he still was able to make his NHL debut after signing in March and burning the first year of his contract. He had a goal, three assists and averaged 11:41 of ice time in 12 regular-season games and appeared in one playoff game.

Hayden learned a lot in a month’s time.

“I’m very thankful for it,” Hayden said. “What I think is an invaluable element is being able to go into training camp with familiar faces and be able to talk to the players and the staff after a month and a half of interacting with them, that’s great. And then just seeing the pace and the game of the NHL and then going into this summer with legitimate analysis of what I need to work on to make sure I’m even more effective next year.

John Hayden was Yale’s captain this season. (Scott Powers/The Athletic)

“Definitely value mentally to have had those games and some success where I can tell myself I do belong. I think that goes a long way with training. You’re not training with a question mark. I’m training with an understanding I can play at that level and I want to contribute even more at that level, so it’s definitely motivating.”

Hayden specifically felt he needed to continue to work on his pace. He had made progress as a skater in recent offseasons, and he’s looking to make more this offseason. His plan is to again train with Ben Prentiss, who works with a lot of college and NHL players, in Connecticut.

“I think from watching the NHL for years and then playing in the NHL, it’s clear the league gets faster and faster,” Hayden said. “As a bigger guy, I think if I can keep adding speed and quickness to my game and overall agility, then I’ll be much better off being a power forward. Just the skill level, whether it’s shooting or working on different plays below the goal line, those small details can go a long way. Those are all things I’ll address this summer and things I’ve addressed the last few summers. Like I said, I definitely want to take strides in the speed department.”

Hayden was wiped out physically and mentally once the Blackhawks’ season had ended. He had taken five classes in the fall, played Yale’s hockey season, had another three classes to take in the spring and then played with the Blackhawks. As he was playing in the NHL, he was still finishing up those courses. He even Skyped into a class once while his road roommate Nick Schmaltz was in the room.

“It was difficult, but no more difficult [than college],” Hayden said. “I spent four years as a student-athlete. Managing hockey and school wasn’t new to me. As far as the stress level, it didn’t affect me.”

Hayden was pleased to not have to worry about juggling the academic portion any longer. He does know it’ll always be there for him, though.

“Right now it’s nice to having completed it,” Hayden said of his political science degree. “My goal is to play hockey for as long as I can. What’s nice is just in the back of my mind to know a lot of advice in the hockey world is reminding you there’s life after hockey. It’s nice having a degree.”