Maple Leafs' Hyman didn't know he tore ACL during playoffs

Zach Hyman didn't realize he'd torn his ACL until after the Boston Bruins eliminated his Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past spring.

The Leafs forward sustained the injury late in Game 4 when he tried to lay a hit on Bruins star Brad Marchand. The team confirmed his injury following the conclusion of the seven-game series, but Hyman said he played through the ailment for the final three-plus contests because it didn't seem as severe as it was ultimately determined to be.

"I didn't know I tore my ACL, nobody knew," Hyman told Sportsnet 590 The FAN on Friday. " ... I thought I hyperextended it. (In Game 4), I tried without a brace and it was fine, but we ended up putting a brace on for (Games) 5, 6, and 7 and it was just pain tolerance ... and I thought I could manage the pain and I thought I could skate pretty well."

The 27-year-old added that he'd planned to undergo an MRI, but didn't want to do so until after the series due to the whirlwind postseason schedule and because he "felt fine" at the time.

Given a recovery timetable of at least six months following his April diagnosis, Hyman is projected to return in late October if his rehab progresses as planned. But he wasn't tipping his hand on how it's been going so far.

"I don't want to give anybody a date and then (have) it not be that date, but I have a date in mind," he said. "It's got to be approved by the medical team first, but it's always good to have a goal to strive for and it motivates you more and whether that's attainable or not we'll see."

Hyman established career highs with 21 goals and 41 points while playing 71 regular-season contests this past season. He tallied one playoff goal on a first-period deflection in Game 4.