Mika Zibanejad's wife Irma gushes over two year-old daughter Ella's first visit to see the Statue of Liberty

Over the weekend, New York Rangers alternate captain Mika Zibanejad’s family made a memorable trip to the Statue of Liberty. On Sunday, his wife Irma shared a set of Instagram stories capturing their daughter Ella’s excitement during her very first visit.

The first story saw little Ella was pictured pointing up at the towering landmark, her hair tied back with a pink ribbon as she looked in awe at the statue. In the caption, Irm wrote:

“Our 2-year old has been talking about 🗽 nooon stop. And today she finally got to meet her 😭😂😂 she was over the moon the entire time 😂😂”

The second story showed her aboard a ferry gazing out the window at the water while wearing a pink sun hat and a yellow sweater. The final post featured a sweet moment between mother and daughter with both smiling by the window during the boat ride back.

via Instagram /@irmahelinzibanejad

Mika Zibanejad and Irma Helin’s relationship spans over a decade with the couple getting engaged in August 2020 after nearly 11 years together. They tied the knot the following summer in August 2021 in Lidingo, Sweden. The couple welcomed their daughter Ella in September 2023.

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Mika Zibanejad and family send their best wishes to longtime friend Chris Kredier

Earlier this summer, the New York Rangers made the difficult decision to trade veteran forward Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks bringing an end to his 13-year career on Broadway. The move also saw the separation of one of the Rangers’ closest duos as Kreider had been Mika Zibanejad’s longest-standing teammate and close friend since Zibanejad arrived in New York in 2016.

Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Zibanejad admitted the deal wasn’t entirely unexpected but it still carried a heavy emotional weight.

“He’s my longest teammate I’ve had in my career. He’s one of our best friends. It’s weird not to see him come through these doors for the first few weeks,” he said. “I'm happy as long as he's happy. Just because we're not teammates anymore doesn't mean that we're not friends,” he added.

Zibanejad’s wife Irma had also shared a touching tribute on Instagram earlier this summer. In a message accompanying a Rangers thank-you graphic for Kreider, she called him “family for a lifetime” and promised that their daughter Ella would one day learn about the special chemistry Kreider and Zibanejad shared on the ice.

“In the future, I will show Ella highlights of uncle Chris and daddy to teach her about chemistry and true feelings, and tell her to never settle for less,” she wrote.

The Kreider-Zibanejad partnership spanned nine seasons producing some of the most consistent offensive moments for the Rangers.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno