Connor McDavid has a lot riding on this offseason. Slated to hit free agency next year, he’ll have to make up his mind if he wants to give the Oilers another shot or seek greener pastures. But that and the disappointment of losing out on the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row aren’t stopping him from helping out his teammate Zach Hyman for a good cause.
The Oilers captain attended the 6th annual Zach Hyman Celebrity Charity Classic at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club on July 7th. For the uninitiated, it’s a golfing event featuring live entertainment, meals, giveaways, contests, and silent auctions, with proceeds from the event going towards helping various charities and initiatives. The event proved to be a remarkable success this year, too, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reporting that it brought in close to half a million dollars in a day.
The beneficiaries of the charity are SickKids Hospital, Stollery Children’s Hospital, UJA Federations of Toronto and Alberta, Brantford Bulldogs Foundation, and the Edmonton Oilers Foundation. Per information provided by Elliotte Friedman, Zach Hyman is about to reach $3 million in fundraisers. And now he is close to skyrocketing the charity amount after a “great day” with Connor McDavid and other stars.
Today: 6th annual Zach Hyman Celebrity Charity Classic, benefitting:
SickKids Hospital
Stollery Children’s Hospital
UJA Federations of Toronto and Alberta
Brantford Bulldogs Foundation
Edmonton Oilers Foundation
Great day, raised more than $500K, now close to $3M since its… pic.twitter.com/veHaOeAHqa
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 8, 2025
Six years ago, Zach Hyman launched the celebrity golf outing under his foundation, Hyman Helps. It was started with a mission rooted in supporting children’s causes across Canada. What started in 2019 has since grown into a powerful force for good. having already raised over $2 million by 2024, per Sports Illustrated.
But while this event unfolds, Zach Hyman faces one overwhelming question: When will he return to the ice? Recently, he also addressed his future with the team on July 7. But one of the biggest questions of the offseason is, will Connor McDavid get traded?
Big Questions: What’s next for Zach Hyman in 2025 amid Connor McDavid’s trade rumors?
It was in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars when Zach Hyman suffered a wrist injury, thanks to a heavy hit from Mason Marchment that left a noticeable impact on his wrist. It marked the end of the postseason for Hyman, who had been a human wrecking ball for the Oilers until then. Thankfully, however, he is feeling hopeful ahead of the 2025-26 season.
When asked about his injury and comeback on July 7, Hyman said, “I feel good, still wearing the brace. I get it off in a couple of weeks, which is great.” He also added, “I’m still in the recovery phase, but looking forward to getting back on the ice and getting going when I can.” As for the return date, there’s still some figuring out to do.
“I don’t even know what the timeline is, to be honest, but that’s definitely not out of the question,” Hyman said. “I haven’t set a date or anything like that. I’ve dealt with it with the ACL. Once you set a date, you get disappointed if you don’t play on that date. So I hope to play on opening night. I don’t know if I will.” Meanwhile, there’s also no set timeline on when (or if) his captain is going to sign a new contract.
Credits: Instagram/Connor McDavid
While Connor McDavid may reportedly go past teammate Leon Draisaitl with his new contract, there still has been no solid word from the former Conn Smythe trophy winner on whether he plans to stay on in Edmonton or seek greener pastures. “I’m going to talk to my agent a little bit and family and all that, and make some decisions whenever that time comes. But there’s no rush on anything like that,” he said soon after the season ended.
But despite the lack of urgency on the 4 Nations Face-Off winner’s part, Elliotte Friedman thinks that Oilers fans need not worry, for now at least. “I think I’ve been around long enough to know when there’s fear of losing someone, I don’t feel that here. I just don’t,” Friedman told Kyle Bukauskas on a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. What do you think Connor McDavid’s decision will be? Let us know in the comments.
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