Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman has an optimistic outlook for the upcoming NHL season, albeit, with a heavy heart.
Hyman was taking part in the Edmonton Oilers Players Charity Championship Golf Tournament at the Glendale Golf and Country Club on Thursday, thinking of young fan Ben Stelter, who passed away in August, at the age of six, from brain cancer.
“Seeing his family (Wednesday) night, I got to speak with them and convey how much he meant to not just us players and the city of Edmonton, but I’m from Toronto and I have friends and family who ask me about Ben,” Hyman said. “So he really did touch the entire hockey world and anybody who followed hockey knew of Ben Stelter and his journey.
“I was also able to meet other kids going through their own journeys and just see how positive they are. I think it really puts life into perspective and for us, and to be able to do something for kids like Ben means a lot to us players.”
Proceeds from the charity event will go to the Kids with Cancer Society. Hole 7 on the course was dedicated to the memory of Ben, who was an inspiration during the Oilers’ run to the Western Conference Final last season.
“He was full of life, he was a character, any time you met him he didn’t shy away from the stage,” Hyman said. “I remember putting him up on the (media) stage and he was answering questions like he had been there before and really controlling the media better than we do.
“I think that’s why so many people in Oilers nation really rallied around him, not just because of what he was going through, but of the kid that he was and all the energy he brought every day, even though he was going through so much.”
The Oilers will have Stelter on their minds heading into the 2022-23 season. Having made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2006, the club is looking to build on its success.
The team not only features two of the best players in the game in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but brought back power forward Evander Kane and signed free agent goaltender Jack Campbell, who was one of the first to tee off on the Stelter hole Thursday.
“I’ve known Soupy (Campbell) for a while now and he’s just a great guy — a really special human being,” Hyman said. “He’s really excited to be here and I know he’s excited to get started and get on the ice with the guys.”
Campbell, 30, spent parts of the past three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Port Huron, Mich., product posted a 31-9-6 record with Toronto last season, along with a 2.64 goals average and .914 save percentage.
The former first-round pick of the Dallas Stars — 11 overall — in the 2010 NHL Draft, Campbell signed a five-year, $25-million contract with the Oilers this summer. He will replace Mike Smith, who is expected to spend the final year of his contract on long term injury reserve and Mikko Koskinen, who returned to play in Europe with HC Lugano of the Swiss League.
“I thought Jack, for an older player who had some ups and downs and really had to work hard to become a starter, handled it beautifully,” said Oilers alumni Craig Simpson, who saw Campbell play a lot as a national broadcaster. “I thought his confidence was high. And for me as a former player, there is nothing more calming than having a goaltender that you really feel good about as a person and character.
“He’s a hard worker in practice, so you’re never having questions about what his commitment is, and I think Jack will really endear himself to his teammates. He’s an excellent teammate and I think he’s got the opportunity now on a really strong offensive team to be that calmness and that rock behind them to settle things down. It’s a wonderful opportunity that he’ll embrace and I think fans will really get to love the personality that he has.”
Like many pundits around the league, Simpson believes the Oilers should be considered Cup contenders heading into the season. The are expected to be the class of the Pacific Division and once again challenge for the Western Conference title.
“Season-wise, watching the players come in, a week or so before training camp, this is always an exciting time,” Simpson said. “I remember it as a player; you have a nervous sense of anticipation, you have a blank slate and you’re looking forward to maybe taking some strides from last year and come in with fresh emotion and fresh energy.
“When you get that kind of excitement, everybody just wants to start the season and I think it’s a real great opportunity for this team to build off what they did last year and push it even further this year.”
Hyman, who is going into the second year of a seven-year, $38-million contract signed last summer, feels more comfortable heading into the season, which is good news for the Oilers. He put up career-high offensive totals last season with 27 goals and 54 points in 76 games.
“When you come in as a new player, you’re trying to figure out your surroundings and other things,” Hyman said. “Now we’re all settled in, so it’s good to be back.”
Email: dvandiest@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @DerekVanDiest
Post a Comment