Hyman, who is from Toronto, is well aware that not every Canadian will get behind Edmonton's quest for the Cup.
Hyman, who is from Toronto, is well aware that not every Canadian will get behind Edmonton's quest for the Cup.
The Edmonton Oilers will attempt to become the first Canadian team since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens to win a Stanley Cup when they take on the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the best-of-seven final on Saturday. But Zach Hyman made it pretty clear where he thinks a portion of Canadian fans stand.
Shortly after defeating the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Game 6 to win the Western Conference championship, Hyman was asked how he felt any additional pressure knowing they were Canada's team now.
Hyman was quick to dismiss the notion with some humor.
"Well I don't know if Toronto's cheering for us," he said to some laughs from the scrum.
Hyman, who is from Toronto, spent his first six seasons of professional hockey in his hometown and mostly with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's well known he would have preferred to stay in Toronto if it were possible but the player was looking for a long-term commitment, which he found with the Oilers when he signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract on July 28, 2021.
The forward, now 31, has provided enormous value for the Oilers. He scored a career-high 54 goals last season to finish third in the NHL. He continues to light the lamp with an NHL-leading 14 goals in the 2024 postseason and is just three goals away from matching the all-time playoff goal-scoring by a primary left-winger.
If Leafs fans aren't cheering for the Oilers because they don't believe in supporting the lone Canadian team, there is additional reason to feel regret as fans in Toronto watch to see what could have been possible had the Leafs retained him.
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