‘I’ll do everything I can’: After being left off 4-Nations Face-Off roster, Hyman motivated to make Canadian Olympic team

From the electric 4 Nations Face-Off to the upcoming Olympic Games, international hockey is thriving once again.

And as NHLers gear up to take centre stage in Milan this February, this season will see some extra spark in players fighting for a coveted roster spot at one of hockey’s biggest tournaments.

After narrowly missing out on playing in 4 Nations, Zach Hyman is one who is looking for his shot to represent his country this season. Speaking to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, the Edmonton Oiler opened up about how his slow start to last season killed any goodwill he had built with his 50-goal campaign the year before.

“I think everything that could have gone wrong for me went wrong in the first half,” Hyman said, of last season. “It’s funny, you go from a dream year where I wasn’t hurt at all, scored as many goals as I scored, felt great, healthy, to the first half of the year. I started off slow statistically, had a concussion, [a] bunch of other little bumps and bruises, shattered my nose, and then obviously wasn’t selected for the team.”

Still recovering from wrist surgery after suffering an injury in the playoffs earlier this year, Hyman isn’t yet sure if he’ll be available for the Oilers’ opening night. But once he’s back on the ice, he’s driven to jump right in and fight for a spot on Team Canada. Hyman has never appeared with the senior national team, but what better time to make your debut than on Olympic ice?

“I remember watching [4 Nations] with our teammates cheering Connor [McDavid] on, and you want to be there, you want to be in those moments, you want to be on the greatest stage,” Hyman said. “It’s the competitiveness in you. I’d say watching was more motivation than not making the team because it’s more real. It was disappointing, obviously, and I’ll do everything I can to make this one.”

Needless to say, if Hyman can find the scoring touch he had two years ago, it would certainly make a compelling case for his place with Team Canada in Milan. And there’s nothing like the chance of international glory to light the spark and get that going.