Hockey players are a different breed—plain and simple. Zach Hyman proved it again on Monday, returning to the game against the Florida Panthers despite taking a puck directly to the face.
Monday’s game marked the first meeting between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers since the Stanley Cup Finals in June. In that series, the Oilers came close to pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in Stanley Cup history but ultimately lost 2-1 in Game 7.
On Monday, they came close again but fell short. Hyman scored two goals in the game and earned well-deserved praise from hockey fans—not just for his scoring, but for his incredible toughness.
In the second period, a deflected shot from teammate Evan Bouchard hit Hyman directly in the face, leaving him visibly in pain. The puck struck just under his visor, and commentators on the Amazon broadcast noted there was blood coming from his face.
Zach Hyman returned after incident
Hyman left for the locker room, but fans were stunned to see him return in the third period, wearing a fishbowl visor to protect his face. His nose appeared swollen, but that didn’t stop him from playing. Hyman, who had eight goals in 25 games heading into Monday’s matchup, is on a hot streak with seven goals in his last six games. Despite his two goals on Monday, the Oilers fell 6-5 to the Panthers.
On social media, Hyman was widely praised for his toughness and determination.
“An NBA player would be on a stretcher with their season over,” one user joked.
“Damn. If he was in the NBA, he’d get a nice three-month vacation after that hit to the face,” another quipped.
“Absolute warrior,” a third added.
“Real sport,” a fourth chimed in.
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