Latest news with #MikaZibanejad
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mika Zibanejad Calls World Championship In Sweden A Memory Of A Lifetime
David Kirouac-Imagn Images The 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship ended on a bitter-sweet note for Mika Zibanejad. Team Sweden suffered a crushing 6-2 defeat against Team USA on Saturday afternoon, decimating their dreams of winning the gold medal in front of their hometown fans. Advertisement However, not everything was lost. The players quickly had to shift their focus on the bronze-medal match against Team Denmark and Zibanejad admitted it wasn't easy. Mika Zibanejad Has Been Able To 'Relax' And Be Himself At World Championship After Difficult Season Mentally With Rangers Mika Zibanejad Has Been Able To 'Relax' And Be Himself At World Championship After Difficult Season Mentally With Rangers At the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, Mika Zibanejad has been himself both on and off the ice. 'It was obviously tough, it is a tough reset from yesterday after being so disappointing,' Zibanejad said. 'Just the way we played yesterday, it wasn't hard to have a mindset of we have to play better and we owe it to ourselves. I thought we ended in the best way we could with the situation being.' Advertisement Sweden responded with a 6-2 win of their own on Sunday over Denmark to capture the bronze medal and Zibanejad even scored the final goal to put the icing on top of the cake. You don't get the opportunity to play in a tournament of this magnitude in front of your hometown fans very often, so Zibanejad cherished every moment of it. The 32-year-old talked about his experience with passion and pure happiness. 'It's going to be a memory with me for a lifetime,' Zibanejad said about playing in Stockholm, Sweden for the World Championship. 'Even though we didn't win gold, we got the bronze medal. It's a medal and we got to do it in front of our families, our friends, our fans. Advertisement 'People that might have never watched hockey before, hopefully got some more hockey fans in Sweden from it. It's a memory that I'll bring with me for a very long time.' Zibanejad has now played at the 4 Nations Face-Off and World Championship. Is the 2026 Winter Olympic Games next on his international hockey agenda? That's something that he hasn't been thinking about a whole lot as of right now. 'It's been an honor, as always, to play for your country, represent your country, but now I'm going to take some time off and rest, and then I'll think about hockey later,' said Zibanejad.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Different Side Of Mika Zibanejad Came Out During The IIHF World Championship
We saw a different side of Mike Zibanejad during the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden both on and off the ice. Zbanejad's up-and-down 2024-25 season with the New York Rangers has been very well documented. Mika Zibanejad Has Been Able To 'Relax' And Be Himself At World Championship After Difficult Season Mentally With Rangers At the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, Mika Zibanejad has been himself both on and off the ice. He struggled early on in the year as the topic of his sudden decline was front and center of Rangers storylines. He was under a microscope and the scrutiny that followed his name was far above any other player on the team. Despite making some improvements over the year, it just felt like Zibanejad wasn't his usual self in terms of the way he played. He also seemed to grow more and more frustrated with the Rangers continuing to struggle. However, everything changed for Zibanejad once he arrived in his home country of Sweden for the World Championship. As Rasmus Andersson put it, Zibanejad was 'relaxed' and that translated to his game on the ice. He was suddenly playing more freely out there and his flashy, methodical style that Rangers fans have come to adore was back on full display. Celebrating with his teammates after goals, the 32-year-old forward just seemed happy on and off the ice. He had a lighthearted energy due to the exciting environment being in his home country as opposed to that tense environment in The Big Apple this past year. Zibanejad helped lead team Sweden to win the bronze medal, capping off a tournament and experience he'll always cherish. 'It's going to be a memory with me for a lifetime,' Zibanejad said about playing in Stockholm, Sweden for the World Championship. 'Even though we didn't win gold, we got the bronze medal. It's a medal and we got to do it in front of our families, our friends, our fans. 'People that might have never watched hockey before, hopefully got some more hockey fans in Sweden from it. It's a memory that I'll bring with me for a very long time.' We'll see if Zibanejad can carry this newfound energy into the Rangers 2025-26 season.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Mika Zibanejad reacts with excitement to Mike Sullivan joining Rangers
Mika Zibanejad reacts with excitement to Mike Sullivan joining Rangers (Image Source: Getty Images) The New York Rangers are making significant changes following a disappointing last season. One of the first significant changes was bringing in veteran coach Mike Sullivan. Though Mika Zibanejad is playing for Sweden at the IIHF World Championships, word of the coaching change caught up to him in short order. The Rangers' star was very optimistic about the direction of the team under Sullivan and is excited to be working with a coach who is known for winning and working with talent. Mika Zibanejad expressed that he's excited regarding Mika Zibanejad addressed the media from the IIHF World Championships and discussed his reaction to Mike Sullivan as the Rangers' new head coach. "Impressed with a coach of that caliber," Zibanejad said, according to "He's had tremendous success. I had a brief phone call with him, and we'll certainly have many more of those phone calls and then conversations during the summer, obviously get to know him. Mike Sullivan spent nearly 10 years coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins and twice won Stanley Cups with them. He's known for his rapport with superstar players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Now he will coach a Rangers team that is still in the hunt for a Stanley Cup. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Rangers general manager Chris Drury acted swiftly to bring in Sullivan following his departure from Pittsburgh. Drury termed him a "premier coach" and feels he can push players such as Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and more to their maximum potential. Also Read: NHL Offer Sheet Buzz: Will Cuylle, Marco Rossi, Or Mason McTavish Become 2025 Targets? Will Cuylle also be ready for a fresh start Zibanejad is not the only Ranger who is looking forward to a new beginning. Will Cuylle, who is representing Canada at the same international tournament, also had something to say. 'It's good,' Cuylle said. 'He's won. Veteran coach, been around for a while so he should be pretty smart and have a lot to teach us. I'm excited. I'm looking forward to meeting him and seeing what he can do.' The Rangers enjoyed a strong stint last year but couldn't carry it forward this season. Consequently, Peter Laviolette was fired after serving two seasons behind the bench. Mike Sullivan is now responsible for taking the Rangers back to championship heights. Thanks to players such as Zibanejad, presenting encouragement early on, the future might be bright again in New York. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mika Zibanejad Misses Big Game At World Championship Against Canada With Illness
Mika Zibanejad missed Team Sweden's Tuesday night game against Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, with an apparent illness. Canada ultimately defeated Sweden 5-2 to close out the preliminary round. Mika Zibanejad Confirms He's Had A Conversation With Mike Sullivan Since Rangers Hire There's been a lot of talk lately around Mika Zibanejad and his future with the New York Rangers. Swedish coach Sam Hallam confirmed that Zibanejad was out because he was sick, but didn't seem overly concerned about him missing more time. 'He's sick,' Hallam said. 'So we're keeping him away from the rest of the gang here during the day. He won't be at the game tonight and so he'll have to recover here over the next 24 hours.' While the 32-year-old should likely be back for Sweden to start the quarterfinals, nothing has been confirmed as of now. Zibanejad has recorded four goals in six games through this tournament.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Resurrecting Mika Zibanejad's game is major Mike Sullivan challenge with Rangers
Though many New York Rangers fans might not buy it, the Mika Zibanejad they remember from two seasons ago is still out there. He's just a little far away at the moment. That's both a figurative and literal statement. Not only does Zibanejad seem far removed from the dynamic scorer who averaged better than a point per game from 2019-23, he's actually not nearby from a geographic standpoint. The forward is in Europe, playing for his native country and tournament host Sweden in the World Championships. Advertisement Yet that version of Zibanejad appears to be the same one that participated in the Four Nations Faceoff in February; and that should have the Rangers encouraged over the possibility that the 32-year-old has something left in the tank. With a highly-respected new coach known for getting the most out of accomplished veteran players now behind the Rangers bench, it's possible that Zibanejad's 15th NHL season might prove to be a clean slate and a fresh start for him on the way back to star status. Related: Why it's time for Rangers to trade Chris Kreider this offseason Mika Zibanejad has looked like his old self at Four Nations, World Championships Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Zibanejad endured what was likely the worst season of his career in 2024-25, recording 62 points – marking a second straight season of offensive decline after he piled up a career-high 91 in 2022-23. His overall game also deteriorated, as he went from an outstanding two-way player that was a plus-70 from 2021-24 to one that finished minus-22 last season – just shy of his career-worst minus-23 mark in 2017-18. Advertisement The eye test backed that up, as Zibanejad frequently struggled with defensive responsibilities as opponents often feasted offensively when he was on the ice. The Rangers were outscored 5v5 with Zibanejad on the ice 52-43 and they're expected goals share was 48.67 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. Zibanejad played so poorly that now-former coach Peter Laviolette moved him out of the middle and occasionally out of the top-six forward group, before he found a somewhat successful home at right wing on center J.T. Miller's line. Still, Zibanejad mostly looked like a shell of the all-around force he used to be. The 'old' Zibanejad, though, made an appearance for Tre Kronor in the inaugural Four Nations event. He looked quick and highly engaged in two games, scoring a goal when centering Sweden's top line before missing the contest due to an illness. Three months later, that guy has shown up again in an international competition. Zibanejad has four goals in six games — yes, one was an own goal by Latvia — to help power undefeated Sweden to the top of Group A at the Worlds, performing every bit like the No. 1 center he once was for the Rangers. Apparently, the skills are still there, which, to be fair, he did show down the stretch when he had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in the final six games of the Rangers season. Advertisement Skeptics – and there are deservedly plenty at this point after such a rough 2024-25 – would ask why Zibanejad is so invested and effective now, and wasn't for so much of the NHL season. That question is a fair one. To cite the Rangers' drama-filled season that included significant tensions with the front office over personnel moves and what seemed like obvious rebellion against Laviolette isn't an excuse for Zibanejad's lackluster play – which was hardly limited to him on the Blueshirts roster. Yet, he was the tone-setter, the one who's malaise hung like a dark cloud over the Rangers last season. There's no question, though, that the built-up acrimony played a role. Zibanejad confirmed it when he complained about how management handled personnel moves and 'communication' issues at breakup day. Reminding everyone in a separate interview that he has a no-move clause that he 'earned' and has no plans to leave didn't help his standing with general manager Chris Drury and owner James Dolan. You think the public display of extending Drury shortly after Zibanejad spoke out wasn't a sign by the owner that it's time for Zibanejad get in line and do what he's paid handsomely to do — and that's perform on the ice? Advertisement Even Zibanejad's biggest detractors, though, are probably going to have to grit their teeth and accept that he's not going anywhere. With five seasons remaining on a contract that carries an $8.5 million salary-cap hit and is essentially buyout-proof – along with the aforementioned no-move – Drury would have to perform some serious magic to trade Zibanejad. For his part, however, Zibanejad will have to accept that there's a new sheriff in town – one that, unlike his recent predecessors, almost certainly won't be departing after two seasons this time. Mike Sullivan is Drury's coaching white whale of sorts, now finally in the fold, in lockstep with his GM and expected to be here for the long haul after a 10-year run with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Plenty can be made of the turnover behind the bench during Drury's tenure, with the GM having hired his third coach in five years. Laviolette and Gerard Gallant, Drury's first hire, each lasted two seasons, both done in in part by losing the locker room, whether that was fully their fault or not. The difference this time? While Gallant and Laviolette were both accomplished – Gallant guided the Vegas Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final and captured the Jack Adams Award that season, while Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and is one of the winningest coaches in league history – neither was Drury's top choice to lead the Rangers. Advertisement Sullivan is exactly that, and the two-time Cup winner with the Penguins probably has as good a chance as anyone to heal the divisions and end the drama in the room and get Zibanejad – and others – back on track. Related: 'Stock has definitely risen' on potential Rangers free-agent target Adam Gaudette Mike Sullivan's role to bring best out of Mika Zibanejad with Rangers Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Sullivan faced a similar situation in Pittsburgh in December 2015, taking over an underachieving and drifting club that had just fired coach Mike Johnston. The team was 'kind of a mess,' according to then-Penguin Matt Cullen. 'When you're walking into a room with Sidney Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin and [Kris] Letang and [Marc-Andre] Fleury, it's a long list of guys who have some big reputations,' Cullen said. 'He was super direct, and it didn't matter if you were Sid or a guy on the fourth line, the expectations were super clear. It was something guys really responded to.' Advertisement Sullivan's honest, one-size-fits-all approach proved to be perfect. The Penguins righted the ship and went on to win the Stanley Cup that season, and the next one as well. Now, the Rangers' roster doesn't contain four future Hall of Famers, so expecting a Stanley Cup run next season might be wholly unrealistic – especially from a group that showed so little investment in 2024-25. What Zibanejad and others should have realized upon Sullivan's hiring is that he isn't going anywhere. Having reportedly made the 57-year-old the highest-paid coach in NHL history at $6.5 million per year for five years, ownership made it clear that it's committed to leadership behind the bench – and not for two seasons this time. The question of whether the Rangers core veterans have effectively fired the last three coaches – Gallant's predecessor David Quinn being the other – isn't worth relitigating anymore. What matters now is whether Sullivan, armed with job security and an effective level of authority that Quinn, Gallant and Laviolette didn't possess – can get the current iteration of Zibanejad to return from his home country for training camp. 'It's probably not unlike what he walked into in Pittsburgh,' Cullen said of Sullivan's hiring in New York. 'A team that's awfully close to being really good, high expectations – it's a perfect scenario for him to come into. I can't think of a better coach and person to come in and lead the ship.' Advertisement A key decision Sullivan faces in the attempted resurrection of Zibanejad's game is how to use him. Under Gallant and especially Laviolette, Zibanejad became a matchup center, expected to shut down opposing top pivots, especially in the playoffs. He was good in that role, but Zibanejad's offense – and eventually, his all-around play and confidence – declined in tandem. Getting him back to the quick, freewheeling player who consistently attacked the net and exhibited a positive arrogance might end up having a lot to do with how Sullivan views Zibanejad's role. Whether his days at center are over remains to be seen. Perhaps, he'll be back on the wing riding shotgun with Miller. Advertisement Zibanejad's chances of turning back the clock under Sullivan will be among the most critical Rangers variable next season. If Zibanejad just required a reset and the 75- to 80-point player that once excelled in all three zones re-emerges, the Rangers will be a much different team than the one that crashed from the Presidents Trophy to missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25. Sullivan knew he'd be tasked with this significant undertaking when he accepted the job. It's also up to Zibanejad to be on board with what the new coach is selling – and to buy into a partnership with Sullivan. After all, it's highly unlikely that either person will be departing anytime soon. Related Headlines
