Zach Hyman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zach Hyman
Hyman with the Edmonton Oilers in 2023
Born	(1992-06-09) June 9, 1992 (age 33) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Edmonton Oilers Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL Draft	123rd overall, 2010 Florida Panthers
Playing career	2015–present

Zachary Martin Hyman, born on June 9, 1992, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a left winger for the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Oilers, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Zach and his family also own the Brantford Bulldogs hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League.

Zach Hyman is a very talented player. Hockey Canada named him the 2011 Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year. In 2013, he won a gold medal playing for Canada at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel. During his college years, he won many awards, including being named the University of Michigan's Athlete of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the best college hockey player.

Hyman was first chosen by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL draft. Later, his rights were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015. As a rookie in the 2016–17 season, he set a new Maple Leafs record. He scored four short-handed goals, which means he scored while his team had fewer players on the ice. He also tied a team record for assists by a rookie.

Besides playing hockey, Zach Hyman is also a successful author. He writes award-winning, best-selling children's books. He has a contract with Penguin Random House.

Zach Hyman's Early Life and Family

Zach Hyman was born on June 9, 1992, in Toronto, Ontario. He grew up in the Forest Hill area with his parents, Stuart and Vicky Hyman, and his four brothers: Spencer, Oliver, Cooper, and Shane. His family is Jewish.

Zach's father, Stuart, is involved in hockey as well. He is the Chairman and Governor of the Markham Royals and the Chairman of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). Zach's younger brother, Spencer, is also in hockey management. He is the General Manager of the Brantford Bulldogs and the President of Hockey Operations for the Markham Royals. His brother Oliver played for the Hamilton Red Wings hockey team.

Zach went to United Synagogue Day School and graduated with honors from a Jewish high school, the Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto.

Giving Back to the Community

Zach Hyman cares a lot about helping others. He spends much of his free time volunteering. He is an athlete ambassador for children's charities. These include organizations like Right To Play and First Book Canada.

Every summer, Zach hosts a special charity golf tournament. This event raises money for charities in Edmonton and Toronto. One of the main charities he supports is the SickKids Hospital in Toronto.

Zach Hyman is married to Alannah Mozes, who is a lawyer. They have three sons together.

Zach Hyman's Hockey Journey

Playing in Junior Hockey Leagues

Zach Hyman played for the Hamilton Red Wings from 2008 to 2011. His father, Stuart Hyman, bought the team in 2003. In his first season, Zach scored 13 goals and made 24 assists. He was named the Red Wings' Rookie of the Year. In his second season, he became the team captain. He scored 35 goals and 40 assists.

In his last junior season, Hyman was the top scorer for the Red Wings. He had 42 goals and 60 assists in just 43 games. He was second in scoring in the entire Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). He led all players with 2.37 points per game.

After a great season, Hyman was named to the OJHL's First All-Star Team. Hockey Canada also gave him the CJHL Player of the Year Award. He was also chosen as the OJHL's Most Gentlemanly Player in 2010. His jersey was even displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame!

College Hockey Career

Hyman first planned to play college hockey at Princeton University. But the coach left, so Hyman decided to play for the University of Michigan instead. He joined the Michigan Wolverines for the 2011–12 season.

In his first year at Michigan, Hyman scored 2 goals and had 7 assists. He scored his first college goal on October 21, 2011. In his senior year, he was named an alternate captain. He became Michigan's top scorer, setting a new record with 54 points. He scored 22 goals and 32 assists in 37 games. He was the first Michigan player in years to score 20 goals and 50 points in a season. On October 24, 2014, Hyman scored his first hat-trick and had five points in one game.

Hyman helped Michigan win its 16th Great Lakes Invitational Tournament title in December 2014. He was named to the tournament team.

After his amazing senior season, Hyman received many awards. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and was a First Team All-American. He was also a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which is like the MVP award for college hockey.

Zach Hyman graduated from Michigan with a history degree. He was also a great student, earning high grades. He was named the University of Michigan Athlete of the Year in 2015. This award had been won by famous athletes like Jim Harbaugh and Tom Brady.

Zach Hyman's Professional Hockey Career

Hyman was drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2010. But he decided not to sign a contract with them. He wanted to become a free agent.

Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs (2015–2021)

On June 19, 2015, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Hyman's playing rights. A few days later, Hyman signed a two-year contract with Toronto.

He started playing professionally for the Maple Leafs' minor league team, the Toronto Marlies, on October 9, 2015. He got his first professional point, an assist, that night. On November 7, he scored his first professional goal.

On February 29, 2016, Hyman was called up to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He made his NHL debut that night. A week later, on March 7, he scored his first NHL goal against the Buffalo Sabres.

Hyman after scoring his first NHL goal against Chad Johnson in 2016

Hyman earned a permanent spot on the Maple Leafs team for the 2016–17 season. He played on a line with other rookies, Auston Matthews and William Nylander. He even assisted on Auston Matthews' first-ever NHL goal.

During that season, Hyman set or tied several Maple Leafs records. He scored his third short-handed goal on February 6, 2017. This broke the record for most short-handed goals by a rookie. He also tied the record for most consecutive games with an assist by a rookie, with six games. On March 28, 2017, he set a new record for most short-handed goals in a single season by a rookie, with four.

On July 5, 2017, Hyman signed a new four-year contract with the Maple Leafs.

He played on the Maple Leafs' top line during the 2017–18 season. He had his best season yet in terms of goals, assists, and points. The Maple Leafs made the playoffs but lost in the first round.

Hyman missed the start of the 2019–20 season because he was recovering from knee surgery. He returned on November 13 and finished the season with 21 goals and 37 points in just 51 games. He was named an Alternate Captain for the Maple Leafs before the 2020–21 season.

Joining the Edmonton Oilers (2021–Present)

After his contract with the Maple Leafs ended, Hyman wanted to stay in Toronto. However, due to salary cap rules, a deal was not possible. So, he started talking with the Edmonton Oilers. On July 28, 2021, Hyman signed a seven-year contract with the Oilers. He said he was excited to play with star players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Hyman with the Edmonton Oilers in 2023.

Hyman scored a goal in his first game with the Oilers on October 15, 2021. He had a great start to the season. The Oilers had some tough times in December and January, but they improved after a new coach, Jay Woodcroft, took over. Woodcroft started playing Hyman more on the top lines with McDavid and Draisaitl.

The Oilers finished the season strong and made the playoffs. Hyman had a career-best regular season with 27 goals and 27 assists. The Oilers won their first playoff series, which was Hyman's first time advancing past the first round. They then faced the Calgary Flames in a big rivalry series. Hyman was amazing, scoring 6 goals in 5 games. He set a team record by scoring a goal in every game of that series. The Oilers reached the Western Conference Final but lost to the Colorado Avalanche.

In the 2022–23 season, Hyman achieved a new career high with 83 points. In the 2023–24 season, he scored a career-high 54 goals! He became only the 100th player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a regular season. Hyman then scored 16 more goals in the playoffs, setting a league record for most goals in a single postseason by an active player. He finished the 2023-2024 season as the NHL's leading goal scorer with 70 goals (regular season and playoffs combined). He was a key player in the Oilers' amazing comeback in the Stanley Cup Finals, where they almost won after being down 0-3. They lost a very exciting Game 7 by a score of 2-1.

On March 26, 2025, Zach Hyman wore an "A" on his jersey, becoming an Alternate Captain for the Edmonton Oilers.

Playing for Team Canada

Zach Hyman (right) with his brother Spencer, while playing for Team Canada during the 2013 Maccabiah Games
Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Junior A Challenge
Silver	2010 Penticton
Maccabiah Games
Gold	2013 Israel

In 2010, when he was 17, Hyman was an assistant captain for Canada in a U20 tournament in Sweden. He was named the MVP of a game against Finland after scoring two goals. He finished that tournament with three goals and one assist.

He also played for Canada East at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge. He was named MVP of a game against Russia. He was one of the top scorers in the tournament and won a silver medal.

In July 2013, Hyman was an alternate captain for Canada at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel. He scored three goals and three assists in two games and won a gold medal.

Zach Hyman's Writing Career

Hyman signing a book and a Maple Leafs jersey for a young reader

Zach Hyman is a best-selling author who writes children's books. He works with Penguin Random House.

His first award-winning children's book is called The Bambino and Me. It's about a young Yankees fan named George who loves Babe Ruth. His second book, Hockey Hero, came out in October 2015. It tells the story of a shy hockey player who works hard to achieve his dreams.

His most recent book, The Magician's Secret, was released on April 3, 2018. This book follows Charlie as he listens to stories from his grandfather's Magic Story Chest. Charlie learns that believing in dreams can make them come true. The Magician's Secret was also nominated for the 2019 Blue Spruce Award.

He is currently working on his fourth children's book.

Awards and Achievements

NHL Records

NHL Wide Records

• Most goals in a single postseason in the salary cap era (16).
• Tied Auston Matthews for the most goals in the 2023-2024 season (70 goals in 105 games, including playoffs).
• Most Hits in a single postseason game in the salary cap era (13) on May 14, 2025, against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Toronto Maple Leafs Records

• Most short-handed goals by a rookie (4).
• Most consecutive games with an assist by a rookie (6) (tied with three other players).
• Most empty net goals in a season (6).
• All-time leader in empty net goals (13).

Edmonton Oilers Records

• Only Oilers player to score a goal in every playoff game of a series (against Calgary Flames in May 2022). He scored 6 goals in 5 games.
• Joins Esa Tikkanen (1990) as the only Oilers players to score a goal in 6 straight playoff games.
• Second player to score a first-period natural hat-trick in Oilers history (November 11, 2023). The other was Wayne Gretzky.
• Second player in Oilers history to score 15 goals in 10 home games (March 13, 2024). The other was Wayne Gretzky.
• Ties Wayne Gretzky (1981-1982) for the longest home goal-streak in Oilers history (10 games) on March 13, 2024.
• Ties Jari Kurri (1987) with six goals for most goals through the first three playoff games by an Oilers player (April 26, 2024).
• Ties Mark Messier (1983) with nine goals for the most playoff goals in Oilers history through six games (May 8, 2024).
• Joins Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin as the only NHL players to score 15 goals in a playoff run in the Salary Cap Era (June 18, 2024).
• Scored his 16th NHL Playoff goal on June 21, 2024, surpassing Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin for the most goals in a single postseason during the Salary Cap Era.

See also

• List of select Jewish ice hockey players