Mika Zibanejad Commits To Sweden For The 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship

Mika Zibanejad announced on his Instagram account that he will play for Team Sweden at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. 

While Zibanejad has been hinting at participating in this tournament since the end of the New York Rangers season, it’s now official. 

This comes just months after Zibanejad represented Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off as he opened up about how much he loves playing for his country. 

“Any time you’re going to represent your country, it’s going to be different,” Zibanejad said during the 4 Nations Face-Off. “I don’t think you can compare that to anything. To play with the best players out of Sweden and the best players out of those countries, it’s awesome.”

The 32-year-old forward is from Huddinge Municipality, Sweden, and spent most of his youth in his home country before joining the NHL.

Zibanejad is the first Rangers player to officially commit to the World Championship this year. Others, including K’Andre Miller, Alexis Lafrenière, Will Borgen, and Urho Vaakanainen, are also considering participating.

Sweden is also the main host for the World Championship, an extra bonus for Zibanejad. 

The veteran forward recorded 20 goals, 42 assists, and 62 points in 82 games for the Rangers this season while averaging 18:46 minutes.