 Hay was born in Listowel, Ontario but moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba at an early age.He and childhood friend Dick Irvin were teammates on the Winnipeg Monarchs when they played junior, but Hay left hockey for three years to serve with the Canadian Forestry Corps during World War I.Returning from the war, Hay settled in Regina, Saskatchewan and played two seasons with the Regina Victorias of the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League between 1919 and 1921.