Mika Zibanejad Biography

Mika Zibanejad, born on 18 April 1993, is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who has played as a centre and serves as an alternate captain for the New York Rangers in the NHL and for the Swedish national team. Zibanejad was chosen sixth overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft by the Ottawa Senators. He has competed internationally with Sweden, contributing to the junior team’s victory at the 2012 World Junior Championships and the senior team’s win at the 2018 World Championship. After playing in the junior ranks, Zibanejad joined AIK IF’s youth system for the subsequent season. He made his debut in Elitserien on 7 December 2010, scoring his first goal in the league on 15 January 2011 against Tuomas Tarkki of Modo Hockey. Following a strong training camp, Zibanejad was assigned to the Senators for their opening game of the 2011–12 season. In August 2012, the Senators confirmed that Zibanejad would spend the 2012–13 season in North America, either with the NHL team or their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.