Oilers' Zach Hyman makes his feelings known about season-ending injury following controversial hit by Stars' Mason Marchment 

Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman expressed his disappointment over suffering a season-ending injury following a controversial hit by Dallas Stars player Mason Marchment.

Hyman sustained an upper-body injury during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final after colliding with Marchment in the first period.

Speaking on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast on Wednesday, Hyman opened up about the difficulty of coming to terms with being sidelined for the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers.

"It's hard," Hyman said. "I don't know if I grasped it in the moment. I think in the moment you're like 'I can fight through it, whatever it is, I'll be able to play.' And then you quickly realize it was something that needed surgery."

Hyman broke down emotionally when his teammates came to check on him during the intermission.

"I kind of broke down," he added. "It was hard. I was emotional but at the same time you're trying to keep it together because the guys have to go out there and win a period."

Hyman said that was the moment he realized he couldn’t help on the ice anymore. He was sidelined and could only support the team in whatever way he could from the outside.

Zach Hyman was a key contributor for the Oilers during their playoff run, netting five goals and 11 points over 15 postseason games.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch's take on Zach Hyman's injury

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch addressed the injury to forward Zach Hyman ahead of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday. Speaking after Monday's practice, Knoblauch said:

"Right now, are we 100 percent healthy? No, not quite; with Hyman being out, it will be a huge loss. We're going to need guys stepping up to fill that void. But overall, I would say we're in a little bit better position physically compared to last season."

The Oilers got some good news before Game 1, as winger Connor Brown rejoined the lineup after sitting out the last two games with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm also made his return in their Game 5 series-clinching win over Dallas, coming back from an injury of his own.