New York Rangers fans are very familiar with Mika Zibanejad the player — but Mika Zibanejad the person has remained far more private. That changes now.
Last week, the Rangers star allowed a camera crew into his New York City home and daily routine, creating a feature for the premiere episode of “Road to the Discover NHL Winter Classic.” The four-part, behind-the-scenes docuseries returns ahead of the 2026 Winter Classic between the Rangers and Florida Panthers, set for Jan. 2 at loanDepot park in Miami.
The opening episode airs Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, one hour before the network broadcasts the Rangers’ matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks from United Center.
Zibanejad, who leads New York with 11 goals, admitted to NHL.com that he wasn’t fully sure what he expected from allowing cameras into his personal world — only that it felt worthwhile.
“Hopefully through showing some outside the rink stuff there might be a little more understanding for who I am as a person,” he said. “I think anyone from outside looking in has no idea who I am. They know what I do but not much of me as a person.”
The episode follows him from the Rangers’ suburban practice rink in Tarrytown to his Manhattan home, where his wife and their 2-year-old daughter appear alongside him.
This Winter Classic will be Zibanejad’s fourth outdoor game. He previously suited up in the 2014 Heritage Classic for Ottawa, the Rangers’ 2018 Winter Classic win at Citi Field, and the 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium, where he tied the game in a 6-5 overtime victory against the Islanders. But it’s the first time he’s been trailed by a documentary crew.
For Zibanejad, letting fans see more of him feels meaningful.
“I think for the people that are not in this environment, just from outside, getting a little bit of a different look is cool,” he said. “You see some of the interviews we do, but you don’t see a whole lot of personality.”
Like many players, he weighs how much of his off-ice life to share publicly, including on social media.
“As much as we play a sport, a lot of attention is on us,” he said. “I don’t know if ‘selective’ is the right word, but keeping things more private, maybe.”
He believes the new access gives fans a clearer sense of the human being behind the No. 93 jersey.
Rangers coach Mike Sullivan echoed that idea, noting that viewers will recognize players deal with the same everyday realities as anyone else.
“I just think [this show] gives people more of a window into the human side of it,” Sullivan told NHL.com. He added that fans may discover players are “really good human beings” balancing family, challenges, and normal life alongside their careers.
The show also includes footage of injured Rangers forward Matt Rempe, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, and mic’d-up moments from players and coaches on the ice.