Mar 16, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) waves to the fans after a tribute video by the New York Rangers during a time out during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Artemi Panarin had been apprehensive about making his return to Madison Square Garden to face his old team, the New York Rangers, since basically the moment he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4.
The only way to get around it, though, was by going through it, and the gravity of it all hit him the moment he stepped onto the ice for warm-ups on Monday night and noticed the amount of No. 10 Rangers jerseys still in the stands.
“Emotional, especially the warm-up,” Panarin said following the Kings’ 4-1 win over the Blueshirts. “When the game started, I was better, but during warm-ups, I was inhaling… [I felt the support from the moment] I stepped on the ice, I saw all the jerseys. I felt good about it. That meant a lot to me. I spent almost seven years here. I’m proud of it.”
He did not keep up the facade that he was that much better during the game, thoughy.
“To be honest, I was nervous all game,” he continued. “I’m glad the other guys scored the goals tonight. I was not thinking much about hockey.”
Panarin did notch an assist in the Kings’ win, then had to navigate a mid-game tribute video put together by the Rangers, thanking him for his seven years with the organization.
“I’ve got to focus on the game, not about trying to stop crying,” Panarin said, adding an extra layer to why he usually skates off alone during commercial breaks.
The 34-year-old was a casualty of general manager Chris Drury’s re-tool, which he half-heartedly delved into before the NHL’s March 6 trade deadline. While Panarin was dealt, other notable veterans like forward Vincent Trocheck surprisingly stayed with the team.
It was an unceremonious end of sorts for the winger, who recorded 205 goals and 402 assists in 482 games across those seven seasons in New York. Panarin’s 607 points rank ninth most in team history, while his 1.26 points per game rank No. 1.
With the Kings, Panarin finds himself in far better standing compared to the Rangers. Los Angeles is in the thick of a hunt for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, while New York is playing for the ping-pong balls to fall in their favor at the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.
Still, there was a moment of pause for his teammates, specifically Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, Adam Fox, and Mika Zibanejad.
“I hope they’re all traded to LA,” he joked.
For more on Artemi Panarin and the Rangers, visit AMNY.com