He was left bloodied on Monday during the World Hockey Championships in Stockholm after taking a high stick to the mouth. The New York Rangers forward, representing host nation Sweden, was struck by Finland’s Nikolas Matinpalo early in the second period. The incident occurred as Matinpalo chased he behind the Finnish net and his stick rose up, striking he directly in the mouth.
The 32 year old, collapsed to the ice and was seen spitting blood. Surprisingly, the referees didn’t call a penalty on Matinpalo, despite the incident seemingly warranting a double-minor. The lack of a call may have been influenced by Finland already receiving a double-minor for high-sticking earlier in the match.
Regardless, the missed call was notable.
Zibanejad appeared stunned by the no-call as he skated to the Swedish bench, rinsing out his mouth and spitting blood. He later returned to the ice and finished with 19:41 of ice time.
Sweden jumped to a 2-0 lead and held on for a 2-1 win over Finland, marking their third consecutive victory in the tournament. Zibanejad, who had scored three goals in Sweden’s first two games—including a game-winner against Austria—was held goalless and didn’t register a shot against Finland. He won four of seven faceoffs.
He also faced off against Rangers teammate Juuso Parssinen, who was also quiet for the first time in the tournament. Parssinen had netted game-winners for Finland in their previous two games, including one in overtime against France, but on Monday lost 13 of 14 faceoffs and failed to get a shot on net in over 15 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, fellow Rangers forward Brett Berard was expected to suit up for Team USA but has yet to appear in a game, including a tough 3-0 loss to Switzerland on Monday. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Berard withdrew from the tournament due to “physical limitations.”
Although the exact issue wasn’t specified, it’s clear Berard isn’t fit to play. However, he’s reportedly still expected to train during the offseason and is not in doubt for training camp.
Berard mentioned during break-up day that he plans to return to the New York area in early June to train with teammates Chris Kreider, Matt Rempe, and Jonathan Quick at Prentiss Hockey Performance in Connecticut.
As a rookie this past season, Berard appeared in 35 games for the Rangers, tallying six goals and ten points, mostly in a bottom-six role. His highlights included a two-goal game against the Islanders on April 10 and a two-assist performance against the Blackhawks on January 5.