On Tuesday, Mats Zuccarello was the latest NHLer to write a “How We Play Hockey In” piece for The Players’ Tribune. In it, the 29-year-old shares insight as to how a young boy from Oslo, Norway came to be one of the New York Rangers’ best forwards.
Only eight Norwegians have ever played in the NHL, with Zuccarello and Colorado’s Andreas Martinsen being the Scandinavian nation’s lone two representatives in 2015-16.
Zuccarello mentioned playing on Norway’s frozen ponds in the winter, as ice time in proper rinks was scarce. His passion for the game was taken up a notch after a trip to a video store in a small town in Sweden.
“To kids growing up in North America, finding it wouldn’t be such a big deal. But to me, it was like striking gold,” Zuccarello wrote. “In a crisp, beautiful, new VHS sleeve was the Colorado Avalanche 2001 Stanley Cup championship video — 45 glorious minutes of uninterrupted hockey perfection. I begged my mom, ‘Please, please, please! Can we get it?’
She bought it for me. I’ve probably seen it 1,500 times. I know every bit of it by heart — and I’m sure she does too.”
Hockey is not an immensely popular sport in Norway. In order to follow the NHL, Zuccarello would have to wait for a once-a-week Swedish television program that would play 30 minutes of NHL highlights.
In the summer, he would play other sports — something the crafty forward credits with rounding out his game.
“Hockey was a wintertime thing in Norway. As soon as the weather got warm, we would forget about it completely. Our days were filled with games of soccer, floorball and handball,” he wrote. “I think those other sports helped me become the athlete I am today. The kick-pass is an underrated skill; a lot of battles along the boards are won with crafty feet — don’t forget that.”
At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Zuccarello was a standout performer for the Norwegian squad which finished 10th. He signed a contract with the Rangers the following summer and split the 2010-11 season with the Rangers and their AHL team in Connecticut.
“I was overwhelmed. It was such a professional atmosphere, everyone is used to a high level of competition. My first camp with the Rangers I thought, I’m not good enough. What am I doing here? I’d see Marian Gaborik skating circles around All-Star defencemen and think, Look at that guy. I’m not even close to that,” Zuccarello wrote.
“I sort of blacked out during that week, I don’t remember much. Maybe because it was so new and foreign to me. I had been comfortable with my life before. I loved being close to friends and family, so when I came here and felt alone, it hurt my game on the ice. I’d tell myself, Might as well just go home.”
The 2012 NHL Lockout gave Zuccarello some time in the KHL where he played under current Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice and regained his confidence.
He finished 2013 back in New York scoring eight points in 15 games. He had a career high 26 goals and 61 points last season, his first since signing a four-year $18-million contract in March of 2015.
His play has left a lasting impact on his home nation.
“I remember being a kid wandering around Løren with a Forsberg jersey on, and now I see kids wearing Rangers jerseys in my hometown,” he wrote. “To have that sort of impact, that’s my favorite part of being a hockey player.”
You can read the full piece here.
