Mats Zuccarello did not want to get into the debate about the NHL’s participation in Olympic hockey, not even as he stood in the Rangers’ dressing room on Friday with a soft cast on his left hand.
The non-displaced facture in that hand happened while Zuccarello, the Rangers’ leading scorer, blocked a shot while playing for his native Norway this past Sunday in a group-stage game against Austria. He won’t play a game for the team that pays him in New York for at least another two and half weeks, and yet that wouldn’t necessarily stop him from wanting to go back.
“I don’t know, I’m not going to go into that debate,” said Zuccarello, who was examined by team doctors upon his return from Sochi on Thursday and whose original timetable of 3-4 weeks recovery time from the original injury was confirmed.
“But obviously everyone wants to play for their country,” Zuccarello said. “It’s a fun tournament, but it’s not that fun when stuff like this happens. But it’s a part of hockey.”
Zuccarello knew something was wrong with his hand when he blocked the shot, but when he wanted to go get an X-ray, there was no place to do such a thing at the rink. Instead, he finished out the game.
“I kind of understood after the game that something was wrong,” he said.
Since re-signing as a free agent last summer, the 26-year-old Zuccarello has been a sparkplug for the resurgent Rangers, who had won five of their past six and 11 of their past 15 before this two-week Olympic hiatus. In 58 games, Zuccarello had 15 goals, 28 assists, and had embraced both the role as a diminutive agitator as well as energy source while his team has climbed into second place in the Metropolitan Division.
“Especially at this time of the season, at the end and stuff like that, you want to play every game,” said Zuccarello, who is making $1.55 million this season and will be a restricted free agent this summer. “But at the same time, that’s a part of it and I just have to work hard now and try and be in shape now to get ready.”
The good news for the Rangers is Zuccarello was injured while at a peak time for his conditioning. As the only NHL player on the Norwegian roster, he was playing well over 20 minutes per game and now can still try to keep his endurance up with off-ice workouts.
“It’s tough, but it’s part of the game and you just have to go with it,” Zuccarello said. “It’s nothing you want to happen over there, but it’s a tough one.”
Forward Derek Dorsett participated in practice with a non-contact jersey, the first on-ice team activity he has done since breaking his leg on Jan. 3. He said he hopes to be available to return to the lineup by the Rangers first game back, Thursday at home against the Blackhawks.
Defenseman Marc Staal missed Friday’s practice with back spasms. The new first-time father practiced Thursday, and is expected back for Saturday’s fitness evaluation.