Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
There are plenty of perks that come with being a professional athlete who plays in New York City, but there are also some downsides. That includes the traffic that can make it very difficult to navigate the area, and Mika Zibanejad revealed a snarl was the reason the Rangers ended up benching him for a game.
It’s a bit easier to take advantage of the many things New York City has to offer when you’re making millions of dollars a year, and sports franchises that are located in The Big Apple have historically been able to leverage its status as one of the world’s most thriving cultural hubs to sweeten the pot when it comes to attracting and retaining players.
In 2016, Mika Zibanejad was treated to a significant change of scenery when he moved from Ottawa to NYC after the Senators traded him to the Rangers. The Swedish center is currently in the midst of his tenth season with the Blueshirts, and he’s in the fourth year of an eight-year deal with an AAV of $8.5 million.
He’s currently the team’s third-highest scorer, but he was forced to ride the bench when they faced off against the Ducks after missing a team meeting over a traffic jam.
The Rangers scratched Mika Zibanejad because he got stuck in traffic
The Rangers play their games at Madison Square Garden, but their practices and morning skates are held at a facility in Tarrytown that’s around an hour’s drive north of the city if you don’t have to deal with any congestion heading out of it.
However, that tends to be a big “if” thanks to the unpredictable nature of traffic in NYC, and Zibanejad apparently fell victim to an accident that led to him being forced to sit out a game after showing up late to a team meeting before the Rangers hosted the Ducks on Monday.
The forward took responsibility for his tardiness while explaining what happened, noting his drive from his home downtown was impacted by an accident that led to him rolling in late.
The Rangers probably could have used his help in the 4-1 loss to Anaheim, and while he was back in action against the Canucks on Tuesday, they didn’t fare much better after suffering a 3-0 defeat in his return.