Former NHL player and New York Rangers veteran Sean Avery is unimpressed with Mika Zibanejad’s performance at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, criticizing him for lacking effort.
Mika Zibanejad, a prominent player for the New York Rangers, has been consistently scoring high points over the past six seasons. However, one former NHL player, who also played for the Rangers, has openly questioned Zibanejad’s work ethic. In his latest game, Zibanejad did well, scoring a goal and providing two assists against the Detroit Red Wings; however, these were his first scoring contributions of the season after being blanked in the first two games. Sean Avery, who played for the Rangers during the time the NHL implemented the ‘Avery Rule’, took to social media to express his concerns, labeling Zibanejad as ‘lazy’ and suggesting he was avoiding the hard work. Avery also mentioned Zibanejad’s fondness for DJing during the summer NHL off-season as a point of criticism.
Though Zibanejad had a strong game with three points, it seems he may have gotten the last laugh at Avery’s expense. In contrast, while Avery had a notable career, he achieved a personal best of four points in a game against the Boston Bruins, contributing one goal and three assists during a 7-0 win for the Rangers, despite not being known for his offensive skills.
