SportsHockeyOilers

Everyone is defending Hyman after journalist's hot take about Oilers star

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
|
Mar 26 2024, 11:08 pm
Everyone is defending Hyman after journalist's hot take about Oilers star
Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports

A Montreal journalist has created quite the stir online among hockey fans today after his hot take about Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman.

In a video posted to social media, Andrew Berkshire took aim at the media coverage surrounding Hyman’s success this season. The former Toronto Maple Leafs winger, who signed with the Oilers in 2021, scored his 50th goal of the season Sunday in Ottawa.

The 50-goal mark has long been seen as a remarkable achievement for anyone in the game, and it’s especially rare for a 31-year-old to do it for the first time.

A fifth-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2010, many have pointed to Hyman’s hard work and perseverance in developing into a star player.

But that narrative is “bullsh*t,” according to Berkshire.

“This might make some people upset, but miss me with the Zach Hyman story right now,” said Berkshire, who says he has been in media professionally since 2012.

“Our media industry has to do a better job of telling truthful stories.”

While Berkshire acknowledged that Hyman worked hard to get to where he’s at, he also took aim at the Oilers winger’s privileged upbringing.

“You’re missing the part of the story where Zach Hyman grew up insanely rich,” he said. “Where his parents bought an entire league to guarantee him playing time, where he did exclusive training that only a rich person could afford with professional athletes, his whole life. His whole life this is a person who has had every single possible advantage to get where they are today.”

He also noted how “extraordinarily lucky” Hyman was to play much of his career with Auston Matthews in Toronto and Connor McDavid in Edmonton — perhaps the two best players of their generation.

Berkshire was right about this: he did upset people.

Among the people responding to the hot take are former NHL players and well-known members of the media.

Needless to say, Oilers fans aren’t too happy with the take either.

Here’s what some notable names had to say about it.

Rob WilliamsRob Williams
+ Offside
+ Hockey
+ Oilers

SUBSCRIBE TO THE HIVE

Get the latest news sent to your inbox and stay in the loop