Mats Zuccarello facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mats Zuccarello
Zuccarello in 2015
Born	(1987-09-01) 1 September 1987 (age 37) Oslo, Norway
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Minnesota Wild Frisk Tigers Modo Hockey New York Rangers Metallurg Magnitogorsk Dallas Stars
National team	Norway
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2004–present

Mats André Zuccarello Aasen (born 1 September 1987) is a professional ice hockey player from Norway. He plays as a winger for the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Wild, he also played for the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars.

Mats Zuccarello is one of only nine Norwegian players to have ever played in the NHL. Many people think he is the best Norwegian player in the league's history.

Early Life

Mats Zuccarello grew up in Løren, a suburb of Oslo, Norway. He started playing hockey when he was five years old. He played for local teams like Hasle-Løren and Vålerenga.

Later, he was noticed by Frisk Asker, another hockey club. They offered him a special scholarship to a sports college, which he accepted. Mats has Italian family on his mother's side. His younger brother, Fabian, also plays ice hockey.

Playing Hockey

Starting in Norway and Sweden

Mats Zuccarello began his professional career at 18 with Frisk Asker in Norway's top league, the GET-ligaen. In his first season (2005–06), he scored 8 points. The next year, he greatly improved, scoring 59 points.

In the 2007–08 season, Mats helped Frisk Asker have the best record in the league. He scored 64 points, making him one of the top scorers. His team reached the finals but lost.

After three seasons in Norway, Mats moved to Sweden. He signed with Modo Hockey in the Elitserien, Sweden's top league. In his second season there, he led his team with 23 goals. He also led the whole league with 64 points. For this amazing performance, he won the Guldhjälmen (Golden Helmet) award. This award is given to the league's most valuable player, as voted by other players.

Joining the NHL: New York Rangers

In 2010, Mats Zuccarello signed a contract with the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He first played for their minor league team, the Connecticut Whale. This helped him get used to the North American style of hockey.

On 22 December 2010, he was called up to the Rangers. He made his NHL debut the next day, becoming the seventh Norwegian to play in the league. In his first game, he even scored in a shootout! A few days later, he got his first NHL assist. Then, in his sixth game, he scored his first NHL goal in overtime, helping the Rangers win.

In April 2011, Mats became only the second Norwegian to play in the NHL playoffs.

Playing in Russia

In 2012, Mats Zuccarello signed a two-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia. However, he returned to the NHL and the New York Rangers after a short time.

Back with the Rangers

Mats rejoined the New York Rangers in March 2013. He helped them reach the playoffs that season. He even scored his first playoff goal in a big Game 7 win.

The 2013–14 NHL season was a huge year for Mats. He set new personal bests in goals and assists. He helped the Rangers reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, the championship series of the NHL. This made him the first Norwegian player ever to play in the Stanley Cup Finals! Even though the Rangers lost, Mats was recognized for his hard work. He won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.

In the 2014–15 NHL season, Mats signed a new four-year contract with the Rangers. He continued to be a key player. During the playoffs that year, he suffered a serious brain injury from a shot by his own teammate. This injury kept him out for the rest of the playoffs.

Mats made a strong comeback in the 2015–16 NHL season. He quickly became the team's top scorer. He even scored his first NHL hat-trick (three goals in one game). He finished the season with a career-high 26 goals. For his amazing effort after his injury, he won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award again. He was also a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is given to a player who shows great sportsmanship and dedication.

In 2017, Mats was named an alternate captain for the Rangers. In 2018, he scored his 100th NHL goal. He also became only the ninth player in Rangers history to lead the team in points for three years in a row.

Short Time with Dallas Stars

In February 2019, Mats Zuccarello was traded to the Dallas Stars. He scored his first goal with the Stars in his very first game with them. However, he got an injury in that same game and had to miss several weeks. He returned for the playoffs, but the Stars were eliminated.

Playing for Minnesota Wild

After leaving the Stars, Mats Zuccarello signed a five-year contract with the Minnesota Wild in July 2019.

On 17 April 2022, Mats set a new team record for the Wild. He recorded his 51st and 52nd assists of the season, breaking the previous record. In the same game, he also reached 500 career points in the NHL. This is a big milestone, as he was only the 62nd active NHL player to reach that many points since 2010.

In September 2023, Mats signed another contract extension with the Wild. This will keep him playing for the team until at least the 2025–26 season.

Playing for His Country

Mats Zuccarello has proudly represented his home country, Norway, in many international hockey tournaments. He played in the 2008 IIHF World Championship and the 2009 IIHF World Championship.

He also played for Norway in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

In 2016, Mats was part of Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. His team won a silver medal in this big tournament.

Awards and Achievements

Mats Zuccarello has won several important awards throughout his career: