Marton Monus/Reuters via Imagn ImagesMika Zibanejad rejoined the New York Rangers for practice on Tuesday for the first time since returning from Milan.
Zibanejad spoke calmly with the media about his Olympic experience, but admitted that his emotions remain high, almost a week after Team Sweden lost to Team USA in a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss.
In the final minutes of the game, Zibanejad scored what could have been a monumental goal in Swedish hockey history to force overtime.
However, Quinn Hughes crushed Sweden's chances at winning any medal with an overtime goal, as Zibanejad left Milan empty-handed.
“Tough ending obviously,” Zibanejad said. “Still not really over it. It was an exciting game for people watching, but it still stings… It’s a tough one to swallow.”
Despite coming up short of winning a gold medal, the 32-year-old forward had a strong tournament, recording three goals, three assists, and six points in five games.
It was also a memorable time for Zibanejad, who participated in his first Olympic Games and was accompanied by both his wife and daughter.
He emphasized the importance of separating the disappointment of losing from the unforgettable experience that he had in Italy.
“I think, allowing yourself to kind of feel disappointed and feel all the emotions after loss like that. To still be proud to have the opportunity to play in the Olympics and be an Olympian and again, represent your country at the Olympics,” Zibanejad emphasized.
“It's been 12 years since the NHL players got a chance to do so, so definitely not taking anything for granted. You never know if it's the last chance or not. I think more time will pass by, and I think it'll be easier to, I guess, look back at it in a different way.”
It was Team USA that came away with the gold medal, consisting of many members of the Rangers, including Mike Sullivan, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, Chris Drury, and David Quinn.
It was a bittersweet moment for Zibanejad to watch his Rangers teammates win and celebrate their gold-medal victory.
“Happy for them, happy they got to experience that, and seeing the joy and how happy they were,” Zibanejad said of his Rangers teammates who represented Team USA. “Jealous not to be there for that.
“I don't know if it makes it easier to lose to them in a quarter (final) and then they go through the finals and win the whole thing. At the same time, you feel like, if you just win that game, maybe you have a chance. I think it was an unbelievable game (the gold medal match) and a fun one to watch. A lot of excitement, a lot of chances and good advertisement for hockey.”
After essentially playing playoff-caliber hockey in February, Zibanejad now returns back to reality.
The Rangers currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, and their chances of making the playoffs are nearly impossible at this point with 25 games remaining this season.
While Drury has already stated his intentions to “retool” the roster and focus on the future rather than the present, Zibanejad feels a new sense of motivation following the Olympics and is ready to get going with the Rangers.
“I think if anything, it gave me more energy, like it gave me a little bit of that boost,” Zibanejad said. “I think just having that energy and hopefully the feeling of your own personal game, to kind of bring that in, and bring that energy. I don’t think of it as a let down.”