Shaquille O’Neal has gone by many names: Diesel, Kazaam, and most commonly just Shaq. But to the crew over at NHL on TNT, the retired NBA superstar is known by a different moniker: “Shaq Hyman.”
The 7’1″ former NBA center, who now plies his trade as an intermission analyst on NBA on TNT broadcasts, dropped by the network’s NHL studio on Saturday afternoon to show off his enviable net-front abilities.
As all Oilers fans know, Zach Hyman scores the majority of his goals from within a few feet of the opponent’s net. He is extremely proficient at screening opposing goaltenders and scoring on rebounds, and earned himself the nickname “Shaq Hyman” when he was with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for his willingness to go to those areas.
Well, Shaq might not be the greatest skater, but he’d be able to screen goalies like the very best of them — after all, he made his living in the paint during his Hall of Fame NBA career.
Much to the delight of NHL studio panellists Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, Henrik Lundqvist, and Liam McHugh, Shaq demonstrated how he’d screen Lundqvist inside TNT’s ornate faux hockey rink set.
“Hey, you were great last night again, man,” Bissonnette said, jokingly referring to Hyman’s performance against the Kings in Game 3. “Six goals in the playoffs so far for ‘Shaq Hyman.'”
Hyman may not be a Hall of Fame-calibre player like Shaq, but he’s put together a pretty impressive resume for himself after being a fifth-round pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Draft. The 31-year-old forward set a new career high with 54 goals in 80 games with the Oilers during the 2023–24 regular season.
Shaq made his NBA debut with the Orlando Magic in 1992 and played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011. He won four NBA championships: three with the Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002) and one with the Heat (2006).
During his playing career, Shaq established himself as a prominent hip-hop artist and also appeared in a collection of feature films. Like Hyman, he’s also written a series of children’s books. Shaq joined TNT as an NBA analyst in 2011.
The Oilers will need Hyman to keep playing like Shaq when they return to action on Sunday night against the L.A. Kings at 8:30 p.m. MT.
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