Zach Hyman hits Maple Leafs fans with heartbreaking quotes.

The Edmonton Oilers and forward Zach Hyman will begin competing for the ultimate prize in hockey later tonight when they take on the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

As joyous of an event as this will be for fans in the city of Edmonton, it will be a bitter pill to swallow for fans in the city of Toronto who once viewed Hyman as very much their guy. Hyman himself hasn't exactly helped matters this week by being up front and honest about his split with the Maple Leafs, a split that he has made very clear was not one that he had wanted.

"It's easy when it's not really your decision," admitted Hyman during a press conference on Friday.

Although Hyman was a successful forward with the Maple Leafs there's no question that he has gone on to even greater success as an Oiler, making him understandably very happy with his decision to sign in Edmonton.

"It was the best decision I've ever made," confirmed Hyman.

That alone would be a tough enough pill to swallow, but Hyman drove the dagger even deeper into the heart of the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base this week when speaking with the National Hockey League's own Michael Zeisberger. It was there that Hyman revealed just how long he had envisioned himself as a Maple Leaf.

"It wasn’t about money," Hyman told NHL.com "I’d have loved to be a Maple Leaf for life. I was from there, our families were from there."

Although Hyman once felt this way it would seem that those thoughts have come and gone, with Hyman's star now shining brighter than it ever has in the city of Edmonton. Hyman admits that Edmonton is now the place he calls home.

"It’s our home," said Hyman. "We built a house here. We’re raising our two boys here and are expecting a third in September. And, importantly, it was a place I thought I could win."

It won't be long before we find out if he was right.