Why the Rangers love their star winger

Jimmy Vesey, Brendan Smith and Alain Vigneault all had something good to say about this career Ranger.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Why the Rangers love their star winger
KEYSTONE PRESS

What makes Mats Zuccarello such a favorite with fans and players alike?

It could be that he's a small guy who plays like he's much larger. It could his clutch goal-scoring. It could be his attitude both on and off the ice. It's probably all of those things, but his teammates and coaches can't say enough about 'Zuke'.

Brendan Smith played against Zuccarello for years before having the pleasure of playing with him when he joined the Rangers late last season. He knew right away why Zuccarello was so popular:

“His compete level. That’s all I can say. We know he’s got a lot of skill, we know he can score. That’s why a lot of people would love to have him on their team. But what drives a player from being an average player to a great player is your compete level and your work ethic. He has that. Obviously, he gives up a lot of weight, he gives up a lot of size, but he wins a lot of battles. That’s just because he wants it more than a lot of other players.
“When he wins battles and makes plays, everybody feeds off of it.”

The 5-8, 179-pound winger managed 15 goals and 59 points in 80 games last season, as well as 4 goals and 7 points in 15 playoff games.

In the same Newsweek interview, young Jimmy Vesey had this to say of his fellow winger:

"I think you can take a lot from Zuke. He’s obviously not the biggest guy on the ice. His work ethic and how tenacious he is on the puck, that inspires all of us, I think.”

And from the man who every player wants to be hearing praise from, his coach, Alain Vigneault said:

"First of all, [Zuke's] a real good person. He's fun to be around, always upbeat and positive. Extremely hard worker, has figured out a way to not only play in this league but contribute at both ends of the rink. He has a real good skill set but his best skill set is his competitive nature, he's a real competitive kid and he wants to be out there and be a difference maker and he is one of our top players."

Zuccarello has two years left in his 4-year, $18-million contract (average cap hit of $4.5 million) and he's been a shining example of consistency. He's scored 15 or more goals in each of his NHL seasons after his rookie campaign and has proved to be a player the Rangers can rely on in high-pressure situations.

The 29-year-old may be getting up there in years, but you wouldn't know it from watching him play. He's just as tenacious as ever, and that's why his teammates can't really say enough good things about him.

He's a fan favorite for a reason, and he's an asset the Rangers are lucky to have.