Zach Hyman Bio
Zachary Martin Hyman, born on June 9, 1992, in Toronto, Ontario, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays left wing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his relentless work ethic and his willingness to play in the toughest areas of the ice, Hyman has built a reputation as one of the league’s most physical and dependable forwards. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing around 206 pounds, he combines grit with skill, and he and his family also own the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Early Life and Background
Hyman was raised in Toronto’s Forest Hill neighbourhood in an Ashkenazi Jewish family. He is the son of Stuart Hyman, who serves as Chairman and Governor of the Markham Royals and Chairman of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Vicky Hyman. He grew up alongside four brothers: Spencer, Oliver, Cooper, and Shane. Spencer Hyman is the COO and General Manager of the Brantford Bulldogs, while Oliver played junior hockey for the Hamilton Red Wings from 2011 to 2013.
Hyman attended the United Synagogue Day School and graduated with honours from the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, a Jewish high school in the city. He balanced academics and athletics from a young age, an approach that would later define his college career. His early exposure to organized hockey came through the family-owned Hamilton Red Wings, giving him direct experience with the daily operations of a competitive junior program.
Path to Hockey
Hyman began his competitive path with the Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2008 to 2011, where his father had been the owner and governor since 2003. He was named the team’s Rookie of the Year in his first season, was voted captain in his second, and finished his final junior campaign as the club’s leading scorer. In 2010, Hyman was drafted 123rd overall by the Florida Panthers of the NHL, becoming a notable prospect out of Junior A hockey.
Following his dominant junior run, Hyman committed to the University of Michigan in May 2011 after initially planning to attend Princeton. He developed into one of the top college players in the country, eventually being named Michigan’s Athlete of the Year for 2014–15 and earning First Team All-American honors. After college, he chose free agency over signing with Florida, and his rights were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, launching his NHL career.
Zach Hyman Career
Early Career (2015–2016)
Hyman signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 23, 2015, and began his professional career with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. He made his AHL debut on October 9, 2015, recording an assist, and scored his first professional goal on November 7 against the Binghamton Senators. By the time he earned his first NHL recall, he had been leading the AHL in short-handed goals.
He made his NHL debut on February 29, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, logging nearly 16 minutes of ice time in the process. One week later, on March 7, 2016, he scored his first NHL goal against Chad Johnson of the Buffalo Sabres. He finished his rookie pro season as a steady two-way contributor before earning a permanent spot on the Maple Leafs roster the following fall.
Toronto Maple Leafs Breakthrough (2016–2021)
Hyman made the Maple Leafs out of training camp in 2016 and was placed on a line with fellow rookies Auston Matthews and William Nylander. He assisted on Matthews’ first career NHL goal in the season opener against the Ottawa Senators on October 12, 2016. During his rookie NHL campaign, he set a new Maple Leafs record for most short-handed goals in a season by a rookie with four, surpassing a mark that had stood since 1946–47, and tied the franchise record for most consecutive games with an assist by a rookie at six.
In 2017, Hyman signed a four-year, $9 million contract extension and skated on the Maple Leafs’ top line the following season, posting career highs in goals, assists, and points. He was named an alternate captain before the 2020–21 campaign, but with Toronto’s salary cap tight, a long-term deal proved impossible, and he entered free agency in the summer of 2021. He left the Maple Leafs as one of the franchise’s most popular role players of his era.
Edmonton Oilers Era (2021–Present)
On July 28, 2021, Hyman signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers, citing the opportunity to play alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as a major draw. He opened his Oilers career by scoring a power-play goal against the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021–22 season opener, and he went on to record 27 goals and 27 assists for a career-best regular season. Edmonton surged after Jay Woodcroft replaced Dave Tippett as head coach, and Hyman helped the Oilers eliminate the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs before they fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals.
Over the next two seasons, Hyman’s offensive output climbed further, highlighted by a career-high 54 goals in 2023–24 that made him the 100th player in NHL history to reach the 50-goal mark in a single season. He added 16 playoff goals that spring, finishing as the NHL’s overall goal-scoring leader with 70 between the regular season and playoffs, and helped the Oilers rally from an 0–3 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. In 2025, he dislocated his wrist in the third round against the Dallas Stars and missed the Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Panthers, but he still led the league in postseason hits with 111 in 15 games.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hyman is widely praised for his willingness to absorb punishment in front of the net and along the boards, an approach that has earned him the nickname “Shaq Hyman” from fans, staff, and media. Shaquille O’Neal himself approved the moniker after Hyman sent him a custom signed jersey and stick. Hyman’s forechecking, shot-blocking, and short-handed reliability have made him a coach’s favorite on every penalty kill and energy line he has played on, and he thrives when paired with creative linemates like McDavid and Draisaitl.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Hyman’s signature moments are his 2013 Maccabiah Games gold medal with Canada, his 2014–15 season as Michigan’s Athlete of the Year, his Maple Leafs rookie short-handed goal record, and his 54-goal 2023–24 campaign with the Oilers. He was also named an NHL All-Star in 2023, and he added a sixth career hat-trick against the Detroit Red Wings on December 11, 2025, tying him with several Oilers legends on the franchise all-time list.
Zach Hyman Career Wins
Hyman has accumulated a growing collection of team and individual achievements across junior, college, international, and professional hockey. While formal NHL win totals vary by season, his milestone moments have come at nearly every level of the sport, from the Hamilton Red Wings and the University of Michigan to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.
NHL Highlights
Hyman has produced multiple 20-goal NHL seasons, including a career-high 54 in 2023–24, and he has been a model of postseason consistency with the Oilers. He was a 2023 NHL All-Star and led all players in goals across the 2023–24 regular season and playoffs with 70. He has also been a key piece of Edmonton’s resurgence, helping the franchise reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Before the NHL, Hyman won a gold medal at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel and a silver medal at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge. He was the 2011 Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year, a First Team All-American at Michigan, and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. His 2010–11 Hamilton Red Wings jersey was later displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Zach Hyman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hyman comes from a deeply hockey-connected family. His father, Stuart Hyman, has served as Chairman and Governor of the Markham Royals and Chairman of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and he purchased the Hamilton Red Wings in 2003. His brother Spencer is the COO and General Manager of the Brantford Bulldogs and President of Hockey Operations of the Markham Royals, while his brother Oliver also played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The family collectively owns the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Personal Life
Hyman is married to Alannah Mozes, a lawyer, and the couple has three sons together. He volunteers his time as an athlete ambassador for children’s charities such as Right To Play and First Book Canada, and each summer he hosts a celebrity charity golf tournament that benefits organizations including the SickKids Hospital in Toronto. He is also a co-founder and co-owner of Eleven Holdings Corp., a Toronto-based gaming and media company.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 season was a turbulent but productive year for Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers. He battled injuries during the regular season but still contributed 59 hits in 73 games, providing the kind of physical presence that has defined his career. In the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, he dislocated his wrist in Game 4 of the third round against the Dallas Stars and was unable to return for the Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers, which Edmonton ultimately lost in six games.
Even while missing the entire final round, Hyman led the NHL in postseason hits with 111 in just 15 games, underscoring his role as a tone-setter for the Oilers. He underwent recovery through the early months of the 2025–26 season, and the Oilers went 8–7–4 during his absence. He returned to the lineup on November 15, 2025, immediately logging 11 hits in a single game, the fourth-highest single-game hit total by an Oiler to that point.
On December 11, 2025, Hyman scored his sixth career hat-trick in a 4–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, climbing into a tie for seventh on the Oilers’ all-time hat-trick list. Five days later, on December 16, 2025, he opened the scoring in a 6–4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping Leon Draisaitl reach 1,000 career points. With the Oilers once again in the NHL’s contender conversation, Hyman’s combination of veteran leadership, physicality, and timely scoring looks set to remain central to Edmonton’s push through the rest of 2025–26 and beyond.
