Report: Zuccarello receives huge honor in home country

 For the third time in his career New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello has been award the Gold Puck and named Norway’s Player of the Year. The diminutive sniper potted 15 goals and 59 points in 80 games in 2016-17 and was a force for Team World in September’s World Cup of Hockey.

The announcement was made earlier today in a press release from the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation. Check out their statement below translated from Nowegian:

Zuccarello has been very important during the 16/17 season when Norway secured his place in the 2018 Winter Olympics at Jordal Amfi in the year 2016. He was then central when the European team reached the final in the World Cup later that month. Throughout his game for New York Rangers, he has shown again that he is one of the team's most valuable players. His unselfish effort for the team has become his trademark, in combination with his extreme skills and winning instinct. In his outreach outside the ice cream he is a fantastic ambassador for Norwegian ice hockey in one of the world's largest sports arenas. This is the third time he receives the prize.

Congrats, Mats! But, was there really ever any doubt?