Hyman sported bloody Oilers jersey after nasty puck to the face

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They say hockey players are among the toughest athletes in the world, and Edmonton Oilers star Zach Hyman proved that last night.

It may not have ended the way the Oilers wanted with a 6-5 loss to the Florida Panthers, but it was one full of ups and downs for Hyman. The 32-year-old netted two goals on the night, including a beautiful breakaway goal, and also took a nasty puck to the face off a shot from teammate Evan Bouchard.

OUCH 😳

Hyman took a Bouch bomb right to the face. Hope he’s okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/8XIDiQ8mzZ

— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 17, 2024

He immediately clutched his face and went to the dressing room and it was clear he was bleeding. This kept him out for the last half of the second period, but sure enough, he was back in the game for the third sporting a nasty cut on the nose, a bubble helmet, and a blood-stained Oilers jersey.

It was as tough as he’s ever looked.

“It’s never easy to see a teammate in a pretty gruesome situation,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of the play. “It’s great to see him back out there, though, gutted it out, that was pretty nasty.”

Zach Hyman is back for the 3rd period after taking a puck to the face because hockey players 😅 pic.twitter.com/2nbFZbGE2c

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 17, 2024

Hyman nearly scored a hat trick goal during his first shift with the bubble but was unable to solve Sergei Bobrovsky for the rest of the night. His teammates admired how he returned to the game after such an ugly-looking play.

“For him to battle the way he did and come out there in the third says a lot about his character,” said Connor Brown. “Just wish we could have gotten the win for him.”

Hyman has been red-hot since returning to the lineup. The former 50-goal scorer has finally been finding the back of the net lately with seven goals in his last six games.

You have to think that Team Canada’s Four Nations Face-Off team is kicking themselves for leaving him off the roster at this point.

Zach Hyman returns to game after taking a puck to the face

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.