Olympic Buzz Offers Brief Respite for Struggling Rangers
**GREENBURGH, N.Y. ** - Mika Zibanejad stood out at Rangers practice on Monday - not just for his play, but for his gear.
The veteran center was rocking his navy-blue Sweden gloves and pants, getting them broken in ahead of next week’s Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. A subtle switch in color, but a clear reminder: international hockey is right around the corner.
For Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, who’ll be behind the bench for Team USA, seeing Zibanejad in Swedish colors sparked a light-hearted moment. Asked if it made him think about the challenge of coaching against his own first-line center, Sullivan didn’t miss a beat.
“I really haven't given it that much thought,” he said with a grin. “Obviously, Mika's a good player.
He's having a great year for us. I certainly like him when he's on our bench.”
Sullivan won’t be alone in making the Olympic trek. Assistant coach David Quinn, captain J.T.
Miller, and center Vincent Trocheck are also heading to Italy to represent the United States. Zibanejad, of course, will suit up for Sweden.
And while the honor of playing for your country is front and center, there’s no denying that for these five, the Olympics also offer a welcome mental reset from a Rangers season that’s gone off the rails.
New York has dropped 14 of its last 17 games (3-12-2), and the locker room has felt the weight of a team in transition. The Olympics won’t fix that - but they will provide a change of scenery and, for a few weeks, a different kind of pressure.
“Yeah, I mean, it's obviously going to be a different situation,” Zibanejad said. “But you also get put with your country's best players, and you're going to play against other countries' best players.
So obviously it's different. The competition and the level will be incredibly high.”
The Rangers, after a jam-packed pre-Olympic schedule, are in the middle of a rare quiet stretch, with three days of practice before Thursday’s home game against Carolina - their final matchup before the league pauses for the Olympics. It gave players a chance to reflect on what this opportunity means.
Trocheck, who’s donned the USA sweater in international play before, spoke with genuine emotion about what it means to do so on the sport’s biggest stage.
“It’s just very humbling,” he said. “It’s such an honor to be able to go over and represent your country.
Every time I’ve worn a USA sweater, it’s been an honor. To be able to do it at the Olympics - that’s something you dream about as a kid.
It always felt like a pipe dream. Now it’s happening.
It’s pretty surreal.”
For Trocheck, the trip carries personal meaning, too. The tournament’s location - Italy - is a first for him. Despite his grandparents being from there and making regular visits, Trocheck has never been.
“I’ve always said I wanted to go,” he said. “My grandparents went back every year, but I always had hockey or something else going on.
Me and my wife have talked about going for years. Then the offseason comes and you’ve only got two months, and it just never worked out.
So finally, to be going - it’s exciting.”
And then, with a smile: “I just want to be able to say I’ve been to Italy. I have this whole schtick where I’m this Italian guy, and I’ve never been to Italy.”
For Zibanejad, this will be his Olympic debut. He’s represented Sweden at just about every level - U-16, U-17, U-18, U-20, World Juniors, World Championships, even the 4 Nations Face-Off.
But the Olympics have always been the goal. He was set to play in 2022 before the NHL pulled out due to COVID-19 concerns.
“That was disappointing,” he said. “At that point, you didn’t know if we’d ever get the chance again.
“Representing your country at the Olympics - I don’t think anything beats it,” he added. “No World Championship… nothing beats representing your country at the Olympics.”
Injury Updates and New Faces
While the Olympic buzz dominated the day, there were some notable developments on the ice.
Defenseman Adam Fox and forward Conor Sheary - both sidelined long-term with lower-body injuries - skated in non-contact jerseys. Rookie Noah Laba, who exited Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh with an upper-body issue, also wore a non-contact jersey, though he participated in full-contact drills and appears close to returning.
Meanwhile, the Rangers got their first look at defenseman Vincent Iorio, who was claimed off waivers from San Jose over the weekend. Wearing No. 6, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound blueliner made a solid first impression.
“Vincent 2,” Sullivan quipped, referencing the team’s other Vincent, Trocheck. “I thought he looked good today.
It’s my first time seeing him up close, but he looks like he has decent puck skills. He’s got good size.
For a first practice, he executed pretty well in some of the drills we were doing.”
The Rangers will need all the help they can get once the Olympic break ends and the grind of the NHL season resumes. But for now, a few players and coaches will get a chance to chase gold - and maybe, for a little while, forget about the struggles back home.