Mika Zibanejad reaches major milestone with 1,000th NHL game against former team

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad has reached a major career milestone, appearing in the 1,000th game of his NHL career.

The achievement was marked with a pregame ceremony on Monday, as the Rangers honoured one of their most consistent and productive players in recent years.

The milestone came against the Ottawa Senators, the team that originally drafted him.

Zibanejad was selected sixth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft by Ottawa before being traded to New York in 2016. Since then, he has become a key figure for the Rangers.

Going into the game, the Swedish forward had recorded 280 goals and 376 assists for the team, placing him among the franchise’s top performers in multiple categories.

Across his full career, he has reached more than 800 total points.

Zibanejad has played an important role in some of the Rangers’ biggest moments in recent seasons.

He was a standout during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Final.

After a quieter campaign last year, he has returned to strong form this season, with improved scoring numbers.