EDMONTON -- Zach Hyman is not planning a career change anytime soon, but the Edmonton Oilers forward felt purchasing the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League was a good decision for him and his family.
The OHL announced Monday they approved the transfer of ownership of Brantford to a group led by Hyman and his family, including his brother Spencer and father Stuart, from Michael Andlauer, whose purchase of the Ottawa Senators was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on Sept. 21, 2023.
Andlauer also owns Belleville in the American Hockey League. The Bulldogs moved from Hamilton to Brantford, Ontario, last season.
"I'm always looking for things that I'm passionate about and hockey is obviously a huge passion, it's my life and my family's life," Hyman said following Edmonton's 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Place on Monday. "I'm really excited to be able to do something with my family and be involved with the City of Brantford, and I'm really looking forward to a lot of great years ahead, and it will be fun."
Hyman is in his 10th NHL season and fourth with the Oilers after signing a seven-year, $38.5-million contract ($5.5 million average annual value) with Edmonton as an unrestricted free agent July 28, 2021, and has 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 38 games this season. The 32-year-old scored an NHL career-best 54 goals in 80 games last season.
A Toronto native, Hyman played for Hamilton in the Ontario Junior Hockey League before moving to the University of Michigan. He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round (No. 123) of the 2010 NHL Draft.
"I never got drafted (in the OHL) and this will be the first team I'll be a part of the 'O', which I think is great," Hyman said. "When I was 16, you're forced to make an impossible decision and I'm very excited for this generation of kids that don't have to make that decision because the rules have changed with regards to Major Junior and the NCAA. The kids should have the options to do whatever they like in sport, and this is a huge opportunity for every kid that plays in the 'O' now."
The NCAA announced Nov. 7 that players in the Canadian Hockey League will be eligible to play men's Division 1 NCAA ice hockey starting next season. The CHL is made up of three leagues, the OHL, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League. Prior to the ruling, those who played one game in the CHL forfeited their NCAA Division 1 eligibility.
Hyman played four years at Michigan before turning pro. He played six seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs before signing with Edmonton.
"It's been an honor to be the owner of the Bulldogs, who have won two championship trophies and launched the careers of many successful players into the NHL," Andlauer said in a statement. "Although it is time for me to focus on my new hockey world, I know that the new ownership of the Hyman family will continue to bring success for the Brantford Bulldogs organization on the ice and in this great community that has embraced us these past two years."
As the owner of an OHL franchise, Hyman could be setting himself up for a career after the NHL. Former NHL defenseman Steve Staios was Bulldogs president from 2015 to 2022, winning two OHL championships, before eventually becoming Ottawa's general manager.
"I guess I'm kind of in it (management) now," Hyman said. "We'll see how I like it. I just focus on today and I'm sure I won't have a more fun job than being a professional hockey player; I don't consider it a job. I consider it a hobby that I get paid for. As long as I can play, I'll be playing."
Hyman and his family will participate in a media conference ahead of the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game at the Brantford Civic Centre on Wednesday. He'll join the proceedings remotely from St. Paul, Minnesota, where the Oilers play the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).
"I'm very fortunate to have an amazing family and people that I can really trust and rely on," Hyman said. "My brother Spence is taking this on full time and there is no better person to guide and help him than my dad, who has been staple in hockey since I was a kid. It's in our blood."
