He played junior hockey for the Parkdale Canoe Club (1927 to 1929) and the Toronto Young Rangers (1929-30). The New York Americans signed him as a free agent in 1930 and brought him up for the 1930-31 season. He played for three seasons and was traded to the Montreal Maroons in 1933. Ayres played only part of the 1933-34 season with the Maroons and was then sent to the St. Louis Eagles for the following year. In the NHL he played in 211 games, scoring 6 goals and 11 assists with 350 penalty minutes.