Mats Zuccarello started his New York Rangers career as a virtual unknown, but the diminutive forward affectionately known as The Hobbit has become one of the team's biggest stars. The ballad of Zuccarello—transplant from Oslo, Norway—is an interesting one, but how did his unexpected rise to stardom come to be?
The short answer is that Zuccarello is making the most of the opportunities presented to him this year, and his success is a byproduct of hard work and time spent developing since joining the Rangers in 2010.
"Zuke" was signed as a free agent after his play during international play for Norway got the attention of various executives in NHL circles. General manager Glen Sather ultimately nabbed him at a reasonable rate, and Zuccarello was off to Hartford to start his professional career. After a hot start, the Rangers called him up, and he was rather impressive in a secondary role.
The Rangers winger used to be known exclusively for his prowess in the shootout, and that skill was the only reason he was kept on the roster as the 12th, sometimes 13th, forward. Although he was one of the Rangers' most skilled ...
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Article written by Tom Urtz Jr.
Breaking Down Unexpected Rise to Stardom of New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello
December 24th, 2013 by Tom Urtz Jr. Leave a reply »
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