A Forgettable Night, A Memorable Career: Mika Zibanejad’s Top Moments

This past Monday, the New York Rangers' best center of the 21st century played his 1,000th NHL game. It was a special night for Mika Zibanejad, especially since it coincided with the only other NHL team he’s played for coming to town.

After a heartfelt tribute video narrated by his wife, and a touching pre-game ceremony, the Rangers went on to deliver one of their worst performances in decades. At the final horn, the Rangers were recorded as having only nine shots on goal for the entire sixty minutes. But somehow, the NHL announced the next day they had missed counting a shot—giving the Rangers a final total of 10.

I don’t know who Chris Drury had to pay off to get the NHL to pore through that pathetic hockey footage, but the team is now saved from the embarrassing accomplishment of tying their franchise-low shot total, set in a game against the Detroit Red Wings over 70 years ago.

Long story short, the team did a shit job of honoring Mika Zibanejad. So, we’ll be taking the reins and doing that ourselves by remembering the top moments of Zibanejad’s career.

Zibanejad’s Golden Goal

In the 2012 World Junior Championship gold medal game, Sweden and Russia needed extra time to sort out the winner. After confidently telling his teammates he would score and win the game, Mika Zibanejad did just that.

About ten minutes into the extra period, Zibanejad stole the puck from Nikita Gusev and darted in alone on Andrei Makarov. He cut through the crease and backhanded the puck past Makarov to score the only goal of the game, winning the tournament for Sweden, their first title in thirty years.

Fastest Three Goals in Senators History

On Fe. 28th, 2016, the Ottawa Senators were trailing the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the third period. Zibanejad, near the bottom of the circle, rifled a shot that went in and out of the Flames’ net so fast only Erik Karlsson initially celebrated. The play was blown dead and the referees, after a confused conference, ruled it a goal.

Just under two minutes later, Karlsson tried to force the puck through to the net, but it ricocheted off Alex Chiasson and popped back up near the top of the circle. Zibanejad, in the right place at the right time, stepped into a shot and blasted the puck past Flames’ goaltender Joni Ortio, who had arguably been interfered with by Bobby Ryan. But it wasn't called. Tie game.

Exactly 49 seconds later, Mark Stone chipped the puck out in front of the Flames’ net. Zibanejad, through double coverage, was able to lift the puck over Ortio for his third straight goal in just 2 minutes and 38 seconds, a record that still stands for the Senators today. Ottawa would go on to win the game, 6-4.

Kreidbanejad

Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad played together as New York Rangers for nearly a decade. They experienced many ups and downs and were often paired on several successful lines during Kreider’s time in New York.

But their connection went beyond just hockey. The two became inseparable, spending time together outside the rink. Zibanejad was Kreider’s best man when the former Ranger got married. Their friendship was such a major part of their lives that Irma, Zibanejad’s wife, mentioned their daughter keeps mistakenly pointing out Kreider in games, and they don’t correct her for fear of upsetting her.

Other small connections led fans to create the Kreidbanejad fandom. It all peaked when Zibanejad posted an emotional goodbye on social media after news broke that Kreider was leaving New York. It was clear that Kreidbanejad would never die.

Zibanejad’s Five-Goal Game Against the Washington Capitals

Six years ago, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Zibanejad accomplished a feat very few have: He scored five goals in a single game. His victims were Ilya Samsonov and the Washington Capitals.

It just so happened that his father was in town to watch that game, and recently we learned that before that game he told his son he had never seen him score a hat-trick in person. So, Zibanejad made sure to outdo himself on the ice that night. It was a back-and-forth, dramatic game that went to overtime. Zibanejad would cinch it, scoring the OT marker to cap off the 6-5 win over their fellow Metropolitan Division rival.

It was a special season for the young center. In just 57 games, he scored 41 goals and 75 points. Because of the pandemic and the shortened season, the team missed out on 12 games, and some of us will always wonder how many goals he might have racked up with the remaining games.

Mika March

It's a fun phenomenon that seems to happen every spring—including this one. In the last five games, Zibanejad has scored five goals. The Rangers’ top center, for whatever reason, has built a reputation for surging late in the season and scoring in bunches, specifically in the month of March. It really started around the year of his five-goal game. In six games that season, he scored 11 goals. He followed up that performance the next year with two hat tricks in March, and thus, a legend was born.

Zibanejad’s Outdoor Hat Trick

This one comes without question, and will probably be the highlight of the 2025-26 season.

In the 2026 NHL Winter Classic, the Rangers were in Miami, facing the Florida Panthers. The game was unexpectedly one-sided as the Rangers dominated and won 5-1, thanks in large part to Zibanejad, who scored three goals and added two assists to take down the defending Stanley Cup champions. This was the first hat trick recorded in any outdoor NHL game, and it was more than enough for him to be awarded “The Cocoa Cup” as the game’s MVP.

There's so much more not on this list—from big moments to the DJ booth, Zibanejad has been integral to the Rangers since he arrived.

Whether it happened here in Rangers' blue or somewhere else, what are some of your favorite Zibanejad memories?