It’s not just Erik Karlsson and Elias Pettersson who have super seasons in the NHL.
Mika Zibanejad has also had the best season of his career – and now the star Swede is being praised.
Talk about a blue-yellow success story in the NHL this season. Earlier this week, Erik Karlsson became the eleventh Swede in NHL history to reach 100 points in one and the same season, and just a day later Elias Pettersson became the twelfth.
Get the mighty prize
With his milestone, Erik Karlsson also became the first defenseman in over 30 years to succeed, and Elias Pettersson has carried his Canucks on his shoulders all winter. But you are not the only Swedes who make record seasons. Mika Zibanejad, alongside his compatriots, has made a fantastic effort all winter, and now comes the reward.
Zibanejad, who will turn 30 years later in April, has had the best scoring season of his career, when he accounted for 90 points in 81 games. Zibanejad has scored 39 goals, which is shared first among the Swedes, with William Nylander. Zibanejad is also second in the Rangers’ internal scoring, and leads the team in goals. Mika Zibanejad has never scored more than 81 points before in his career, so it’s a big improvement on his own record that he’s standing for.
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Highly praised
And now comes the reward, in the form of a powerful appointment to say the least. Every year, the New York Rangers, like other NHL teams, award their own MVP award to the team’s most important player. Zibanejad won the title in the 2018/2019 season, and on Wednesday the organization announced that the Swedish star will be this year’s winner of the award.
The award is voted for by the local media in New York, and according to a unanimous body, Zibanejad was the best in a Rangers team that was convincing throughout the season. Many are tipping the team far into the upcoming playoffs, and even then, Zibanejad is expected to play a key role in the pursuit of a first Stanley Cup title.
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