NEWS

Photo: Edmonton Oilers

- Article courtesy of the OJHL/ with files from Ron Valentine

The Edmonton Oilers have signed former Ontario Junior Hockey League star Zach Hyman to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million, the club announced Wednesday.

The 6-foot-1, 214-pound winger is coming off a 33-point season of 15 goals and 18 assists in 43 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he spent the last six seasons and accumulated a total of 86 goals and 99 assists in 345 games.

The free agent has also played 32 career post-season games, scoring five goals and eight assists.

Originally drafted in the fifth round by the Florida Panthers in 2010, Hyman was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2014-15 as the NCAA's top collegiate player with 22 goals and 54 points in 37 games during his fourth and final year with the University of Michigan Wolverines. 

The 29-year-old is also a best-selling children's book author away from the rink.

Hyman won the OHA's B.J. Munro Memorial Trophy in 2011 for the top pro prospect as well as being named Canadian Junior A player of the year, two of the many awards he would win at the Junior level.

He would begin his NHL career in 2015 for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Zach accumulated 242 over three seasons playing for the OJHL's Hamilton Red Wings and was the captain of the club in his final term, the 2010-11 campaign where he recorded 102 points. Included in that total were three seven-point and three five-point games and 28 games in a row where he recorded at least one point. Zach was drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2010 in the fifth round, 123rd overall.

The Toronto-born forward next spent four seasons in the NCAA with the University of Michigan Wolverines, graduating after the 2014-15 season in which he was named to the NCAA first all-star team.

His father, Stuart, is chairman of the OJHL’s board of governors and owner of the Markham Royals franchise.