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.
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.
