Hyman, Oilers 'really excited' after Stanley Cup Final run
Published
Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman has only positive reflections on the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final this season.
The Oilers rallied from a 3-0 series deficit against the Florida Panthers only to lose 2-1 in the deciding Game 7.
"It was an unbelievable run, obviously," Hyman said to First Up on TSN1050 Monday, speaking ahead of his annual Hyman Celebrity Classic golf tournament.
"You look at it from a mental standpoint, you come so close it's just a part of the story."
Hyman skated in a total of 105 games in the regular season and playoffs this year, blowing by his previous career high of 92 in 2021-22, his first season with the Oilers.
"I was fortunate that this year I didn't have anything major going on [in terms of physical health]," said Hyman. "Mentally, it takes a toll."
"The way that it went down for us, I would say the mental side [was more difficult than the physical] - being down 3-0 in the finals, working yourself back into the series and ultimately giving yourself a chance to win it and just falling short.
It almost, in the moment, kind of didn't feel like it was over. We were ready for the next game, even though there wasn't one, then you have to come to terms with the fact that it's not going to happen this year."
Despite the difficult ending, which extended a collective Stanley Cup drought amongst Canadian teams in the NHL to 31 years, Hyman feels confident that the team will build momentum off of this run.
"It was heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, any word you want to describe it, but there's light at the end of the tunnel when you take a step back and look at the big picture," Hyman said.
"You take a little time, step back, look at the big picture and you realize how much experience you gained from it and how close you are. You can't get much closer than we did."
Outside of the historic run for the team, it was a memorable season for Hyman himself.
The 32-year-old winger set a new career high in goals with 54, for which he largely credited his teammate Connor McDavid, who finished with 100 assists on the season.
"I had a lot of help obviously, I play with the best player in the world, so when he's passing to you, it makes it a whole lot easier to score goals," Hyman said.
His 16 goals led all scorers in the playoffs, and his 70 goals combined between the regular season and playoffs for the year were tied for tops in the NHL with Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.