It's safe to say that wherever he played, Zach Hyman was a fan favourite. Before signing with the Edmonton Oilers, the forward spent six seasons with the Leafs.
Last night, the Oilers managed to beat the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals to clinch their ticket for the Stanley Cup Finals. They could become the first Canadian team since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993 to win a Stanley Cup. Nearly all hockey fans in Canada will root for the Oilers going into the Finals.
In his post-game comments, Hyman was told by a reporter that Ottawa Senators' fans would cheer for the Oilers in the Finals, and was asked what it meant for him to see a whole contry getting behind his team.
He replied by saying that he doesn't think the Leafs will cheer for them:
A massive challenge awaits the Oilers in the next round. The Florida Panthers have been relentless so far, beating the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first rounds.
As for the Oilers, they beat the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. In those rounds, Hyman played a big part of the team success, scoring 18 points (14 goals), in 18 games.
He even scored the game-winning goal last night against the Stars:
Both the Oilers and the Panthers will be able to get some rest before game one, set to go down Saturday.
Will you cheer for Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals?
POLL | ||
Will you cheer for Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals? | ||
Yes | 528 | 75 % |
No | 176 | 25 % |
List of polls |