As he entered the Bruins’ locker room at TD Garden for the first time, Jimmy Hayes experienced another moment that sunk in since he returned to where it all began.

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.

“I got a call from [Panthers GM] Dale Tallon telling me that I’ve been traded and he told me I was traded to my hometown. It’s always awkward to get traded, but when you get traded to your hometown team, it’s an incredible feeling.”

Since being traded to Boston, Hayes has gotten all kinds of support from his friends and family. On Tuesday, he faced the local media for the first time since his days in Boston College.

Yet through it all, Hayes has been able to sit down and reflect that his dream is coming true.

Jimmy Hayes meets with the Bruins media for the first time on Tuesday inside the B’s locker room at TD Garden (Photo Credit: Tim Rosenthal, Bruins Daily)

“It finally hit me when I was driving home from the Cape the other day and drove home by myself,” said the power forward. “To have it sink in and realize that I’m going to be a Boston Bruin is an incredible feeling.”

Hayes isn’t a stranger to the TD Garden. During his college days, the 6-foot-6 winger guided the Eagles to a couple of Beanpot titles — including 2011 where he scored the overtime winner against Northeastern — along with two Hockey East championships during his three seasons at “The Heights.”

Despite numerous visits, Hayes never stepped foot in the Bruins’ locker room — until Tuesday.

“That was really cool,” Hayes said about stepping into the B’s locker room in the Level 3 hallways of the Garden. “I’ve been in this building many times before, but I’ve never been in that room. So to be able to walk in there and have that experience is incredible.”

Since he last stepped foot into the building on Causeway Street, the home of the Bruins and Celtics for over 20 years has undergone some renovations.

Hayes certainly approves of the recent updates.

“Every year it’s been crazy because playing here in college and coming here as a pro, you see that everything is different,” Hayes said about the Garden’s upgrades. “It’s great to have a nice building to play in.”

Being a new addition to a team that’s made its share of changes comes with added expectations. Being a Bruin playing for the hometown team can come with a certain burden.

Amidst all that, Hayes seems quite comfortable in discussing his feelings donning the Black and Gold and hopes that the hype can translate into results.

“I’ve probably played more games in this city than anywhere in my entire career,” Hayes said. “To be honest I don’t think there’s pressure. I think I can handle it. It will be a great opportunity for me and wearing the jersey that I dreamed of wearing is a dream come true to me.”

Where Hayes gets slated on Claude Julien’s line chart is anyone’s guess. He could see ice time with Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or Ryan Spooner at center. At his off-wing could be David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, or Loui Eriksson.

Still, Hayes couldn’t have picked a better time to be a Bruin, even if they’re going through a transition phase.

He’ll also get to play outdoors again when the B’s host the hated Montreal Canadiens on New Year’s Day at Gillette Stadium.

“It’s going to be amazing,” said Hayes, who is no stranger to facing a rival outdoors. “I had the opportunity to play an outdoor game in college [at Fenway Park against Boston University] but never as a pro, so to be able to do it as a pro is an unreal experience.”

Hayes had a career year in Florida in 2014-15 scoring 19 goals and adding 16 assists. His friends, family, and the rest of the 17,565 at TD Garden hope to see his career trend up as his dream becomes a reality.