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Mika Zibanejad was the first of the three Rangers who played in the Winter Olympics to return to the team’s practice facility, with J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck of Team USA still celebrating their rousing gold-medal victory over Canada on Jack Hughes’ overtime goal Sunday in Milan.
Zibanejad actually scored a huge goal for Team Sweden against the Americans in the quarterfinals to force OT — before Hughes’ brother, Quinn, sent the Swedes home from the first Games with NHL players participating since Sochi in 2014.
“Tough ending, obviously, still I’m not really over it,” Zibanejad said after Rangers practice Tuesday in Tarrytown. “It was an exciting game for people watching, but it still stings, tying it up late and then having a chance to win it in overtime and go through. So it’s a tough one to swallow.”
Instead, Zibanejad watched two of his fellow Blueshirt forwards — plus head coach Mike Sullivan and assistant David Quinn — don their gold medals, the first for the Americans in men’s ice hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
Miller, the Rangers’ captain, was all over social media in recent days, shown singing on a microphone and even crowd surfing at the U.S. team celebration Monday night at a Miami nightclub.
“He’s enjoying it as he should. I would have probably done the same thing,” Zibanejad said. “I’m happy for them. Happy that they got to experience that and seeing their joy and how happy they were.
“A little jealous, not to be out there for that…I don’t know if it’s easier to lose to them in the quarters and then they go through to the Finals and win the whole thing, [because] at the same time, you feel like if you just win that game, you have a chance [to win gold].
“But no, I think it was an unbelievable [gold-medal] game and a fun one to watch, a lot of excitement, a lot of chances, and a good advertisement for hockey.”
The Rangers have been less than that this season, entering Thursday’s restart game against the Flyers at MSG with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and likely facing additional trades before the March 6 deadline after leading scorer Artemi Panarin was shipped to the Kings shortly before the break.
“You can tell the games mean more,” Zibanejad said. “I think being there, there are always different scenarios, but coming from here, having a bit of, I guess, a tough go, not winning a ton of games and then going there and you really notice how important every game is…The intensity and the atmosphere around it was very cool.
“I don’t think [coming back will be] a letdown. I think it’s human nature not to have the same feeling. I’m not a robot. It’s human nature to understand it’s a different emotion. But it doesn’t take away from the fun of playing games. And obviously, we’re gonna have a couple of guys coming back that are a lot happier than I am.”
The 32-year-old center added that he didn’t attend any other Olympic events while in Italy, although he and his wife did take in a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan for Valentine’s Day.
Despite ultimately falling short, Zibanejad said his first Olympic experience was “so much fun” and called it “always an honor” to represent his homeland.
“I think allowing yourself to feel kind of disappointed and feel all the emotions after a loss like that and at one point to still be proud to have had the opportunity and the ability to play in the Olympics and represent your country at the Olympics,” Zibanejad said. “It’s been 12 years since NHL players got the chance to do so, so definitely not taking anything for granted, and never know if it’s the last chance or not, so I just think the more time that passes by, I think the easier it will be to look back at it.”
English (US)