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Watch: Cowboys star Trevon Diggs’ son stumps Oilers’ Zach Hyman with blunt question about Panthers
Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman got stumped by a question from an unlikely source. NFL's Dallas Cowboys star Trevon Diggs’ son, Aaiden, asked Hyman point-blank if he had any friends on the Florida Panthers. The exchange happened during the NHL's media day on Friday, leading up to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.
He asked:
"Do you have any friends on the Panthers?"
Zach Hyman was momentarily taken aback but responded:
"I was actually drafted by the Panthers."
Subsequently, Aaiden was in disbelief at learning that Zach Hyman had once been a part of the Florida Panthers.
Hyman added:
"Yeah, way back in 2010. I got the draft jersey and everything. ... So, I know a couple of them from, like way, way back. They’re good guys, but we’ll have to put that aside for a couple of weeks, right?"
The Panthers drafted Zach Hyman 123rd overall in 2010. He was later part of a deal that sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 before signing as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in 2021. As such, Hyman is coming full circle as he faces the team that originally drafted him.
Hyman currently leads the postseason in goals with 14. He’ll be looking to add to that total as Edmonton seeks to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.
Zach Hyman’s journey started in Florida
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently wrote a piece reflecting on Zach Hyman’s initial journey with the Florida Panthers. In particular, Johnston details then-Panthers’ GM Dale Tallon’s recollections of having Hyman on the team.
Johnston quoted Tallon as saying:
"We liked the kid. He had a children’s book that he signed and autographed with a really nice message. It was kind of, I wouldn’t call it shocking, but we were disappointed that we couldn’t get it done."
Hyman informed the Panthers’ organization that he wouldn’t be signing with the club. Instead of signing an entry-level contract, he would enter the NHL as an NCAA free agent. Rather than letting Hyman walk out the door, the Panthers traded his rights to the Maple Leafs.
Hyman noted the lack of opportunity he had with the Panthers. However, Tallon noted the following:
"We were OK with it – we’d done that in the past – but the problem is we hadn’t clinched a playoff sport. I didn’t think it was fair to put a new kid into the lineup when the team was still fighting.
"All signs were that he wanted to sign with us, so we weren’t panicked at all. It wasn’t because we didn’t want him. That’s a fact. But that’s just the way it goes."
As Johnston noted, in an alternate universe, Hyman would be wearing a Panthers’ sweater in Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers. But, such is fate.
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