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Rangers forward opens up his personal life on ‘Road to the Winter Classic’
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- Rangers forward opens up his personal life on ‘Road to the Winter Classic’
New York Rangers fans know a lot about Mika Zibanejad the hockey player. About Zibanejad the person? Not so much.
But Zibanejad opened his New York City home and personal life to a camera crew last week, and the result is a segment on the first episode of "Road to the Discover NHL Winter Classic." The behind-the-scenes, four-part docuseries returns in advance of the 2026 game between the Rangers and Florida Panthers at loanDepot park in Miami on Jan. 2.
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The first episode debuts Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, one hour before the network's telecast of the Rangers' game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center.
Zibanejad, who leads the Rangers with 11 goals this season, admitted to NHL.com that he wasn't sure what he was hoping to get out of the experience — but was certain there would be value in it.
"Hopefully through showing some outside the rink stuff there might be a little more understanding for who I am as a person," Zibanejad told the League's website. "I think anyone from outside looking in has no idea who I am. They know what I do but not much of me as a person."
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That should change a bit when Zibanejad is seen through the lens of the camera that followed him from the Rangers suburban practice facility in Tarrytown, New York, to his home in Manhattan. His wife and 2-year-old daughter join him in the segment.
The 2026 Winter Classic is Zibanejad's fourth outdoor game. He played for the Ottawa Senators in the 2014 Heritage Classic at BC Place in Vancouver , and for the Rangers at the 2018 3-2 Winter Classic win against the Buffalo Sabres at Citi Field in New York and the 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a game that saw him score the tying goal in a 6-5 overtime win against the New York Islanders . But it's the first time a camera crew followed him.
Mika Zibanejad shows personal side on 'Road to the Winter Classic'
"I think for the people that are not in this environment, just from outside, getting a little bit of a different look is cool," the native of Stockholm, Sweden, said. "You see some of the interviews we do, but you don't see a whole lot of personality. Obviously, there are some that are better in front of the camera and more inviting than others, but I think this is cool."
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Like many players, Zibanejad said he wrestles with how much of his off-ice personality he wants to show. That includes social media; he said he doesn't post a lot.
"As much as we play a sport, a lot of attention is on us," he said. "We get covered by media and all that. I don't know if 'selective' is the right word, but keeping things more private, maybe."
The behind-the-scenes access offers Rangers fans a different perspective, Zibanejad said. The segment shows the human side of a player – that he's more than just a guy who wears No. 93 and scores goals for their favorite team.
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Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said the show lets fans get to know that players face a lot of the same everyday challenges they do.
James Guillory-Imagn Images
"I just think [this show] gives people more of a window into the human side of it," Sullivan told NHL.com. "When you get to know some of our players, I think what people are going to find is that they're really good human beings and they live for the most part fairly normal lives other than their livelihood. But they have kids and they're married and they have challenges, and they go through things just like everybody else does.
"I think the best asset that our NHL has is the players themselves, the way they carry themselves, these guys, they have a certain humility to them, and I think that is admirable. When fans get to know some of the players in that regard, maybe they'll be more inclined to root for them."
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There's also away-from-the-rink footage of injured Rangers forward Matt Rempe and Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad , as well as on-ice sound via mic'd up players and coaches.
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