Mats Zuccarello reveals adorable Rangers love: ‘Like I was his boyfriend’

DALLAS — Once the trade finally happened, Mats Zuccarello was looking forward to this day, when he would get to see his old teammates again and even play against them in what was sure to be an emotional matchup.

A broken arm in his second period with the Stars derailed the showdown, but Tuesday’s 1-0 Stars win still served as a reunion of sorts for Zuccarello and the Rangers 10 days after the winger was dealt to Dallas. Not that he hasn’t kept in touch with them in the meantime.

“Mika [Zibanejad], he misses me like I was his boyfriend. He FaceTimes me every day, so that’s nice,” Zuccarello said with a smile Tuesday morning in his new home at American Airlines Center.

“It’s a new beginning for me and I’m really excited about it, but I’m going to remember – New York gave me so much, so it will always be there in my heart.”

Zuccarello had surgery on his right arm last Tuesday, two days after his Stars debut ended early when he blocked a shot, though not before he recorded a goal and an assist. He was given a four-week timetable for a return and is progressing well, hoping to rejoin the Stars in time for the end of the regular season as they try to secure a playoff bid. They entered Tuesday holding onto the Western Conference’s top wild-card spot.

The 31-year-old’s departure from the Rangers was an emotional one, ending a nine-year tenure on Broadway. He was a healthy scratch in his last two games with the organization before the Band-Aid was finally ripped off with a trade to the Stars for a conditional 2019 second-round pick and conditional 2020 third-round pick. Both could become first-rounders, the former if the Stars win two playoff rounds and the latter if Zuccarello re-signs with Dallas.

“I kind of knew this summer almost that [a trade] was going to happen,” said Zuccarello, a pending free agent. “But when you get closer and closer to it, it becomes a reality. I think I was kind of — not sulking, but I was sad about it for a long time, even before it happened. So when it really happened … I had a tough time for a while and it was almost like you could let your shoulders down and relax.”

In his time wearing a Rangers jersey, Zuccarello endeared himself to the fan base and teammates alike with his competitive nature and passion on and off the ice. His departure hit hard for both sides. The day after the trade, Henrik Lundqvist was brought to tears when trying to describe what Zuccarello meant to him.

“He’s a good actor,” Zuccarello joked.

But the Norwegian reciprocated his appreciation for Rangers fans.

“They took me in and they pushed me, made me who I am today,” Zuccarello said. “Same with my teammates.”

Zuccarello got dinner with a few Rangers on Monday and went to see staff members at the arena Tuesday morning. He spoke fondly of Lundqvist and time spent with the goalie’s family, plus all the plane rides when he sat next to Marc Staal while they poked fun at each other. They were the three longest-tenured Rangers, the teammates Zuccarello grew up with before finally leaving last week.

While he has not been around the Stars much — they were on the road all week while he underwent surgery and recovered, only returning home on Sunday — Zuccarello has quickly made an impression on them.

“He elevated our whole team,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “The true sign of someone who makes his teammates better is everybody wants to play with him, and everyone did that night.”

As for his future beyond this season, Zuccarello insisted he had not given it much thought.

“I haven’t really,” he said. “I’m just excited to be here right now and focusing on getting healthy and coming back and playing in the playoffs.”