Trevor Zegras gets roasted by his Flyers teammates over campy new Hulu ad: ‘This can’t be real’

After a career year, Flyers center Trevor Zegras has joined a long line of Philadelphia athletes who have starred in cheesy commercials — and his teammates have some thoughts.

On Tuesday, Zegras returned to acting in an advertisement for Hulu posted to his Instagram. The vertical-style video, which appears to be shot with a smartphone, shows the 25-year-old suiting up head to toe in hockey gear before settling down on his couch to watch what the streaming service has to offer.

In the commercial, Zegras throws his gloves off in frustration, calling for a foul while watching women’s soccer courtesy of Hulu’s live TV package. He then dons a Wrexham A.F.C. scarf while watching FX’s Welcome To Wrexham. Finally, Zegras is brought to tears watching Disney’s Zootopia 2.

“Zootopia 2, man. It gets me,” Zegras says with his head in his hands.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, the ad has just over 9,000 likes on Zegras’ Instagram and garnered tens of thousands of views across multiple posts. Some of those viewers were Zegras’ current and former teammates, who had some choice words for his performance.

In one comment under the Instagram post, Flyers forward and Zegras’ roommate Denver Barkey wrote, “This is what I left the house for.” Meanwhile, defenseman Travis Sanheim commented, “This can’t be real,” and Zegras’ former Anaheim Ducks teammate Leo Carlsson wrote, “For sure bud.” Flyers forwards Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster also got in on the fun, with Cates calling out Zegras for what he considers a cash grab, while Foerster just wants him to share his login information.

» READ MORE: Some wanted to change Trevor Zegras. The Flyers let ‘Z be Z.’ Now, he’s got his ‘swagger back.’

Some of Zegras’ teammates were a bit more supportive. NHL journeyman and current Flyers left wing Garrett Wilson, who was a mentor to many young Flyers this season, seemed to agree with Zegras’ movie choice, commenting, “Zootopia 2 slaps.”

Despite his teammates’ concern over his acting chops, this isn’t the first commercial appearance for the Flyer. As one of the cover athletes for EA Sports’ NHL 23, Zegras starred in a 2022 national TV spot for the game alongside Canada’s Sarah Nurse. He was also in a car insurance commercial in 2023 when he was still with the Anaheim Ducks.

So maybe Zegras’ latest acting job is intentionally over the top? Either way, the Hulu advertisement is reminiscent of a few other low-budget ads starring Philadelphia athletes.

In 2011, then-Phillies rightfielder Hunter Pence starred in a commercial for South Jersey-based Liscio’s Bakery. In front of green-screen backdrops of various locations around the city, Pence demonstrates some unconventional uses of Liscio’s rolls — including using two rolls to row across the Schuylkill in front of Boathouse Row. The commercial, like Zegras’ Hulu ad, gained attention from fans due to its absurdity.

CURE Auto Insurance has also claimed a significant stake in campy sports commercials that run in the Greater Philadelphia area. In a format that the company has used for well over a decade now, countless Philadelphia athletes — from former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber — have taken questions about their car insurance in fake postgame press conferences. The advertisements usually feature canned laughter from faux members of the media after quips from whatever athlete is on the podium, like Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey in 2022.

It’s hard to imagine that the Hulu commercial will be Zegras’ last in Philly. The center notched 26 goals and 41 assists in his first season with the Flyers. He was a major factor in the team’s improbable playoff run that ended with a second-round loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. With Zegras due for a new deal this offseason, it is expected that general manager Danny Briere will look to retain the blossoming star.

It sounds like his teammates hope he spends at least part of his potential payday on some acting lessons.