Top Five Artemi Panarin Moments as a New York Ranger

Artemi Panarin is indisputably the best free agent signing in New York Rangers history. It's rare for elite players to hit free agency at all, so when your team manages to sign one for a full seven years, it's typically a sign of good things to come. And, oh, how sweet those good times were. From the start, learning that he turned down more money from the New York Islanders to play at Madison Square Garden made him an instant fan favorite, and the 607 points over 482 games certainly contributed to that, as well.

With his trade to the Los Angeles Kings, the Breadman era on Broadway is over, and now we get to see what a gluten-free "retool" will look like. But before that thought causes you to dissociate and stare off into the vast emptiness of the void, let's take some time to reflect on some of the memorable moments of Panarin's illustrious Ranger career.

2024 Stadium Series OT Goal

In perhaps the most dramatic fashion, Panarin completed the comeback for the New York Rangers at MetLife Stadium during the 2024 Stadium Series matchup between the Rangers and the Islanders. After assisting on two goals, he used his forechecking and stickhandling skills following the opening face-off in overtime to keep the Rangers undefeated in outdoor games. He knocked the puck out of mid-air, stickhandled around Sorokin, and even though the net was dislodged, still scored a highlight reel goal.

Series Clinching Goal Against Penguins

After falling behind three games to one to the Pittsburgh Penguins (stop me if you've heard that before), the Rangers stormed back to tie the series. It was an emotional seven games as the two teams clashed, with Sidney Crosby returning for game seven after missing a game and a half due to being run over by Jacob Trouba only raising the stakes. The Penguins dominated the game, outshooting the Rangers (also familiar). But the team's key players stepped up when it mattered most, with Panarin scoring a power-play goal on a deceptive off-balance wrist shot to send the Rangers to the second round in their eventual run to the Eastern Conference Final.

Glove Throw at Marchand

Brad Marchand is one of the most notorious pests in the NHL. Known for provoking and irritating opposing teams, it's always satisfying when he gets a taste of his own medicine. That's what happened here. At the end of a dominant win by the Rangers, Marchand—right on cue—mouthed off at Panarin. It was later reported that he mentioned Russia, specifically how Putin is not a fan of Panarin. The Breadman decided that was crossing the line and took matters into his own hands—err, glove.

The NHL fined Panarin for this move, but with a tongue-in-cheek response, Panarin pointed out his salary should more than cover it.

Iconic Leg Kick

Both the Rangers and Panarin were confident he would score many goals while wearing Rangers blue. It was early in his Rangers career that he first performed what would soon become known as his trademark goal celebration—the high kick. Some think it's a nod to New York City's Rockettes, but most believe it's just Panarin being his goofy self. A down-to-earth celebration wouldn't suit the flashy winger. Panarin's celebration became a sensation and was copied by players worldwide. Fans started looking forward not only to his dazzling goals but also to his fun celebrations. As the years went on, the kick became less frequent, so whenever it appears, it's celebrated.

Bald Panarin

After falling to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Panarin—who was limited to only two assists in the seven-game series—arrived at training camp with a new look. Usually recognized by his long curly hair, Panarin showed up with a shaved head. It later emerged that he struggled with the loss to the Devils and his underwhelming performance. The photos sparked quite a bit of social media buzz, with jokes about crustless bread and bald Panarin flying around. There were even reports suggesting that Panarin believed his hair was holding bad energy. Whatever the reason, something worked, as he went on to have the best season of his career and one of the greatest individual seasons in New York Rangers history with 49 goals and 120 points.

The lesson here is, if you get a bad review at work, shave your head.

Countless moments didn't make this list, from his dominant play and goal scoring to his silly media interactions.

What are some of your favorite Panarin memories from the past seven years?