How Bobby McMann found inspiration from Zach Hyman on his journey with the Maple Leafs

Aleš Hemský was the player that Bobby McMann adored most as a kid growing up in Alberta.

McMann loved the speed and the skill of the longtime Edmonton Oilers’ winger. He also couldn’t get enough of Patrick Kane.

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But then, as he got a little older and a little more realistic about his prospects as a hockey player, McMann realized the player he should actually try to model his game after wasn’t Hemský or Kane.

It was Zach Hyman, then a young-ish, late-blooming winger for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

McMann, 28, is bringing similar late-bloomer vibes to the Leafs right now. He’s scored three times in his first three games this fall after breaking out late last season.

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