Oilers forward Zach Hyman hoping to teach 'Shaq Hyman' how to skate: 'For free'
Zach Hyman is extending the invitation.
If basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal needs to learn how to skate — for real this time — Hyman will hit the ice with him.
"If Shaq wants lessons, no problem," the Edmonton Oilers forward said Wednesday. "For free."
O’Neal, a Basketball Hall of Famer and larger-than-life personality, has twice jumped onto the NHL on TNT broadcasts under the "Shaq Hyman" moniker during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The seven-foot-one, 325-pounder walked onto the set last Saturday holding a hockey stick before screening Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who said: "I need a ladder."
And on Tuesday night, O'Neal "skated" into the studio with a hockey stick in his hands, a helmet on his head and two skateboards attached to his feet.
Hyman can hardly believe his eyes when he turns on the TV these days.
"Never thought in my life people would be calling him 'Shaq Hyman,'" he said, laughing. "Pretty cool to share that nickname with him."
Hyman earned the "Shaq Hyman" nickname for displaying his ability to score in the paint — the same area O’Neal terrorized defenders for over a decade on an NBA court — when he was with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies in 2015-16.
"When I was with the Marlies we called him 'Shaq Hyman' for a reason, because he got to the paint more and better than anybody," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said in March.
The six-foot-one, 206-pound Hyman can only imagine the kind of problems Shaq could pose on NHL goalies, and is impressed by the progress the big man is making in such a short span.
"He’s great, he just keeps improving," Hyman said. "First he was in shoes then he was on skateboards, so next he’ll be on real skates — and that’s a big man in front of the net."
O’Neal made US$292 million during his 19-season career and acquired millions more in endorsements thanks to his comical persona.
Long retired, he puts his personality on display weekly alongside fellow Hall of Famer Charles Barkley on "Inside the NBA” — TNT’s award-winning NBA studio show.
"I’m a huge Shaq fan, obviously an incredible basketball player and incredible panellist on TNT," Hyman said. "Sometimes the basketball games are even more fun when he and Charles are going at it in the intermission, so he brings a whole other element to the NBA.
"It’s cool to see him on the NHL set and pretending to be ‘Shaq Hyman.'"
Hyman and the Oilers were leading the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 in their first-round series heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night. Hyman has lived up to his and O'Neal's shared nickname with six goals in his first four playoff games after scoring 54 in the regular season -- often from the blue paint.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2024
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel hopes to normalize the conversation around menstruation with a new children's book
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from 'moving wrong' during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.