Zuccarello is one of eight players from Norway to play in the NHL, and the most successful. The Oslo native is a gifted passer who can create offense with a high-end skill set similar to that of Martin St. Louis, his former teammate with the New York Rangers.

Zuccarello made his way through the ranks in Norway through the Frisk-Asker program, finishing with 34 goals and 59 points in 43 games as a 19-year-old and following that with a 24-goal, 64-point season in 2007-08 before scoring 27 points in 15 playoff games.

He signed with Modo of the Swedish Elite League (now the Swedish Hockey League) for the 2008-09 season, finishing with 40 points in 35 games. In his second season, Zuccarello led the league in scoring with 64 points and was named MVP. He also played for Norway at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, scoring one goal and finishing with three points in four games.

Zuccarello's performance drew notice from NHL scouts, and he signed with the Rangers on May 26, 2010.

After starting the 2010-11 season in the American Hockey League, Zuccarello made his NHL debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 23, 2010, when he was scoreless during the game but had a successful attempt in the shootout. Zuccarello ended up playing 42 games with the Rangers. He scored his first NHL goal Jan. 5, 2011, beating Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward in overtime.

Zuccarello spent most of 2011-12 in the AHL, where he scored 12 goals and 36 points in 37 games. In 10 games with the Rangers, he scored twice and finished with three points. Zuccarello signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League for the 2012-13 season and played 44 games in Russia before re-signing with the Rangers on March 28, 2013. He finished with three goals and eight points in New York's final 15 regular-season games, then had one goal and seven points in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games; the goal came in a 5-0 victory against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the first round.

Everything finally came together for Zuccarello in 2013-14. He led New York in scoring with 59 points in 77 games, establishing himself as a top-six forward. He had five goals and 13 points in 25 playoff games and became the first player born in Norway to skate in the Stanley Cup Final, though the Rangers lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.

Zuccarello became a reliable presence up front for the Rangers and a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden, where "Zuc" became a popular cheer. He averaged 56 points during a span of five seasons from 2013-14 through 2017-18, including NHL career highs of 26 goals and 61 points in 2015-16.

After a slow start in 2018-19, the last year of his contract, Zuccarello came alive at midseason and had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) through 46 games. But the Rangers, in the midst of a rebuild, traded him to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019. He got off to a great start with his new team, scoring one goal and assisting on another, before breaking his right arm blocking a shot, an injury that cost him a month of playing time.

Zuccarello's time in Dallas was short. He became a free agent and signed a five-year contract with the Minnesota Wild on July 1, 2019.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by NY Rangers, May 26, 2010.
• Signed as a free agent by Magnitogorsk (KHL), May 26, 2012.
• Signed as a free agent by NY Rangers, March 28, 2013.
• Traded to Dallas by NY Rangers for a conditional pick in 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional pick in 2020 NHL Draft, February 23, 2019.
• Signed as a free agent by Minnesota, July 1, 2019.