Rangers' Mika Zibanejad makes his feelings known about New York trading away his 'best friend' Chris Kreider to Ducks

NHL: Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers - Source: Imagn
New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad talked about Chris Kreider's trade (Source: IMAGN)

Mika Zibanejad has once again shared his feelings about Chris Kreider being traded by the New York Rangers. Kreider was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in June. He had 22 goals and eight assists last season, and was the Rangers’ longest-tenured player, with 13 seasons for the team under his belt.

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Speaking to the media on Friday, Zibanejad said the move did not shock him.

"I felt like it was coming," Zibanejad said. "It wasn't out of the blue, so I'm not kind of staying here last. It's part of this."

Zibanejad explained that trades are part of the business of hockey. Still, he admitted it was not easy to see Kreider, his best friend, leave.

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"Now, obviously, it was tough," Zibanejad said. "It's an adjustment time, but I think it's as a human being. I'm not gonna push those feelings away.
"I think I just accept that and accept that it's my longest line and the longest teammate I've had in my career. It's one of my best friends. So it's weird not to see him come through these doors for the first few weeks, kind of waiting for him to come."
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Kreider leaves New York with an impressive record. He ranks No. 3 in goals in Rangers history with 326. He is tied for No. 1 in power-play goals with 116. Kreider also holds the team record for playoff goals with 48. He played 883 regular-season games and 123 playoff games for the Rangers.

Mika Zibanejad added that their friendship continues even if they play on different teams.

"I'm happy as long as he's happy," Zibanejad said. "Obviously, just because we're not teammates anymore doesn't mean that we're not friends."
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The Kreider trade gave the team needed salary cap space. For Zibanejad, though, losing Kreider was more about losing a close friend.


Mika Zibanejad's Instagram post for Chris Kreider

After Chris Kreider was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in June, Mika Zibanejad shared a post on Instagram. The post included a video of a 2022 playoff moment when Kreider tossed a tablet from Zibanejad’s hands.

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"Kreids, I’m incredibly lucky to have had the pleasure of playing with you for almost 10 years, but that’s nothing compared to the pleasure of getting to know you and becoming best friends," Zibanejad wrote.

Mika Zibanejad thanked Kreider for always having his back. He said their friendship goes beyond hockey and ended the message with the Swedish phrase "Alltid oavsett" along withg a blue heart emoji, meaning loyalty always, no matter what.

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Edited by nagpaltusharn25
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