Jaroslav Halak: ‘Mats Zuccarello was the funniest person on the team’
Remember Team Europe? The Players’ Tribune does!
Remember way, way back, before the New York Rangers started scoring all of the goals, and a handful of them were playing in the World Cup of Hockey?
One of them was Mats Zuccarello, who helped out Team Europe en route to a second place finish. He was the only Norwegian on a team of misfits: a group that Jaroslav Halak, in his Players’ Tribune piece, talked about having to come together - and once they did, they experienced success on an international level they never really have before.
This isn’t about that, though. Halak doesn’t really bother to mention many of his European teammates by name; just his countryman Zdeno Chara and, well, Zucc.
I must say, Mats Zuccarello was the funniest person on the team. I am laughing right now thinking of the things he would say and do. The stuff that came out of his mouth sometimes … it was so funny. Just looking over and seeing Zucc, who is 5’7”, stand there next to my countryman Zdeno Chára, who is 6’9”, was hilarious.
Aw. What’s the bet Zuccarello is being just as funny in the Rangers’ room, especially considering the parallels of success?
Even if there’s nobody over a foot taller than him on this team.
