Toronto, Ontario – The Edmonton Oilers are primed to make another run at the Stanley Cup, even though it’s just mid-July.
Zach Hyman, a winger for the Oilers, along with teammates Connor McDavid and Connor Brown, attended the fifth annual Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic on Monday at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. The three forwards spoke with the media about the tournament, their previous campaign, and their early preparations for the Blue & Orange’s 2024–25 Stanley Cup run.
Since 2018, the Hyman Celebrity Classic has collected more than $2 million to benefit various causes, including the UJA Federations of Toronto and Alberta, as well as children’s charities including Colby’s Kids, SickKids Hospital, and Stollery Children’s Hospital. Usually a mid-summer event for Hyman, the Oilers’ deep run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against Florida has delayed the formal start of their offseason, so this year’s tournament has seemed more like the beginning of a brief summer.
Hyman says he’s been able to think back on what an amazing season it was for the Oilers, even though they fell one game short of their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup and losing to the eventual champion for the third consecutive season. The team took a few weeks off to recover from the heartbreak of losing Game 7.
Even though missing the Final the previous two years may have made it easier to move on from defeat, losing this past June in a one-game, winner-take-all Game 7 to decide the Stanley Cup makes the hurt feel a little bit more acute, especially considering how they overcame a 3-0 series deficit to the Panthers.
“It’s funny, we talk about that with the guys when reflecting on what happened, but it shouldn’t feel that way,” Hyman stated. “You feel horrible after the first round, but it passes more quickly. If we had been swept, we probably would have thought, “Oh no, we didn’t deserve to win.” There was room for a little more ease.
“You can almost taste it and it kind of gets ripped away to go all the way and return the way we did, to be within a goal.” Right now, that sensation is more difficult. However, after giving it some thought, you may look back on it and realize that you’re right there and you know you can succeed, which is a better feeling than losing early and missing your chance.”
The run proved to the Oilers that they can rise to the occasion when the going gets tough because of their strong sense of team resiliency. They went 5-1 in elimination games during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with their only loss coming in Game 7 of the Final against the Panthers. This accomplishment not only validated their belief that they can challenge for the Stanley Cup as one of the best teams in the NHL.
“You have to be able to win games in different ways, and I think were able to do that whether it was outscoring the opponent, holding on and having our goalie steal a game, or if it was our penalty kill being unbelievable or our power play scoring,” Hyman stated. “You have more opportunities the more ways you can win. Everything is so close together.”
Aside from the players, the Oilers management has had a brief but hectic offseason. From the NHL Draft in Vegas, which took place only four days after Game 7 of the Final, to the July 1 free-agent frenzy, during which the team signed 13 players in total.
Under the direction of CEO of Hockey Operations & Alternate Governor Jeff Jackson, the Oilers have strengthened their roster significantly, bringing in more elite players like Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner and re-signing many of the key depth players from the previous campaign.
“I felt that the management team as a whole performed admirably. So far, their summer has been fantastic, according to Connor McDavid. “I believe that in the brief period they’ve been at it, they’ve accomplished wonderful things. It’s been short and rushed. In the age of pay caps, it makes sense to keep as many guys together as possible. It’s a difficult task, and he performed it admirably.”
Connor Brown reaffirmed that the Oilers’ close call with the Stanley Cup only serves to heighten their eagerness to begin the following season. Brown hopes to build on his impressive postseason performance, having scored six points in 19 games, which is half of what he scored during the regular season while acclimating to the NHL’s faster pace after off-season knee surgery.
The Oilers have a lot to look forward to when they return for Oilers Main Camp at Rogers Place in Edmonton in mid-to late September. They have some good additions to the roster and a large number of players from their playoff run from the previous season returning.
“I think you kind of get fueled by a situation like that,” Brown stated. “You’re really near. We believe that many of the same players are returning, and we gained a lot of knowledge from that run as well, so there are many lessons to use going ahead. We’re all really driven, in my opinion, to make the most of the summer and work hard.”
