From the ice to the printed page, Hyman's diverse skill set has taken him on a unique career path.(Christian Bonin/TSG photography)

When the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Zach Hyman from the Florida Panthers this summer in exchange for Greg McKegg, not only did they acquire a prospect who enjoyed great success in college at the University of Michigan (NCAA) and prior to that in the junior ranks as a key member of the Hamilton Red Wings (now the Markham Royals of the Tier II Ontario Junior Hockey League), they also obtained a budding author of children’s books.

That’s right. Hyman's skills extend beyond the ice to the printed page. The 23-year-old has a book deal with Penguin Random House and works with the publisher when he can in community reading programs.

In mid-August, mere weeks away from attending an NHL training camp for the first time and with his hometown team, Hyman’s debut release titled The Bambino and Me hit store shelves. Now his second book - Hockey Hero is out in time for the start of the hockey season.

Hyman was assigned to the AHL Toronto Marlies on Oct. 4, three days prior to the start of the NHL season when the Maple Leafs trimmed their roster to 24 players Skating on right wing, Hyman recorded his first point, an assist, in his first professional game on Oct. 9 when the Marlies defeated the Manitoba Moose 5-3.

Recently he made time to talk with Eh Game about hockey, books and his unique career path.

EG: The words children’s book author and professional hockey player aren’t often used together when describing someone. How did that first part come about?

ZH: I was playing hockey before I started writing children’s books but wasn’t a pro athlete yet. I started in middle school, in Grade 7 I entered a short story competition and won it – that was the premise for Hockey Hero.

My teacher really liked it and said I should get it published. I moved on to The Bambino and Me in my year off between high school and college.

They don’t take too long to write. I really had the time to look it over, edit it and go back to it. It was a timing thing with the baseball book being published first.

EG: Did being drafted into the NHL help you in getting a publishing deal?

ZH: I was only in high school on my way to Michigan and had no connections in the publishing industry. My father (Stuart) helped me out and set up a couple of meetings with publishers, and Penguin Random House really liked my books. It’s kind of unique that a children’s author is a hockey player as well at the same time and I they kind of liked that.

EG: In the books there is a strong family element. Are any of the characters based on your family members? Perhaps the grandfather in Hockey Hero and/or the brother?

ZH: A little bit. Both are obviously fictional (but) being the oldest of five boys put some brotherly love elements in the books. The Bambino and Me and Hockey Hero both have the relationship with the grandfather. I have a really good relationship with mine (Steve), we are very close. I speak to him almost every day, he is very influential in my life. I guess that’s one of the parts in the books that really relates to my life.

EG: In The Bambino and Me, there is an element of The Hockey Sweater, is that a homage to Roch Carrier?

ZH: I read that book when I was growing up; it’s a classic. There is maybe a little bit of that. I really wasn’t thinking about it. Someone (else) pointed it out to me that it’s a neat little homage to The Hockey Sweater and it’s cool that it’s connected a little bit.

View photos The Bambino and Me was released in August (Courtesy: Penguin Random House) More

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