Artemi Panarin’s run on Broadway is over. After seven memorable seasons with the New York Rangers, Panarin’s off to Hollywood
Artemi Panarin’s run on Broadway is over. After seven memorable seasons with the New York Rangers, Panarin’s off to Hollywood following a trade to the Los Angeles Kings.
Panarin had 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists) in 482 regular-season games over seven seasons with the Rangers, and his 1.26 points-per-game average is best in franchise history. He ranks eighth all-time for the Rangers in assists, ninth in points, and 14th in goals.
He left behind a treasure trove of memorable highlights in New York, and will be remembered as one of the most exciting players ever to wear the Blueshirts sweater.
Let’s break down the 10 greatest moments for Panarin during his tenure with the Rangers.
10. The Dangle Around Bob
When: Dec. 29, 2021
Why it was great: Panarin and former Blue Jackets teammate Sergei Bobrovsky are dear friends, but the Breadman made his countryman — and star defenseman Aaron Ekblad — look silly when he dangled around both and snuck a back-hand shot past the Florida Panthers goalie for a highlight-reel goal in the first period in Sunrise, Florida.
9. The First Rangers Hat Trick
When: Dec. 12, 2019
Why it was great: Before arriving in New York, Panarin owned the Rangers, with 12 goals and 18 points in 12 career games. So it was a relief to see Panarin register his first three-goal game in a Blueshirts sweater in Game 31 of his first season. Panarin had an assist on Mika Zibanejad‘s power-play goal that tied the game, then sealed the hat trick with a pair of goals late in the third period of the Rangers’ 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks.
8. The 4-Goal Game In Raleigh
When: Feb. 11, 2023
Why it was great: Panarin scored a career-high four goals against the Carolina Hurricanes, helping the Rangers turn a 2-1 second-period deficit into a 6-2 laugher. He also had an assist to record points on five of New York’s six goals.
7. The Winter Classic GWG
When: Jan. 2, 2026
Why it was great: Maybe the last memorable moment for Panarin in a Rangers sweater. With New York up 1-0 late in the first period, Panarin floated a seeing-eye shot past Bobrovsky in the outdoor contest played in Miami. It ended up being the game-winning goal, and Panarin also added an assist in the Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Panthers.
6. Signing in New York
When: July 1, 2019
Why it was great: It’s easy to forget how far the Rangers had fallen and how quickly that drop off was after so much success for most of the 2010s. But the Letter 1.0, authored in February 2018 by then-GM Jeff Gorton and team president Glen Sather, ushered in a rebuild that climaxed earlier than expected when Panarin signed a mammoth seven-year, $81.5 million contract. The Rangers outbid the Islanders and Blues Jackets for his services, and Panarin was worth every penny. He led the Rangers in scoring six straight seasons before traded to the Kings, and the Blueshirts reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024, and won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 with Panarin a vital member of their core.
5. The 15-Game Point Streak
When: Oct. 12, 2023-Nov. 18, 2023
Why it was great: The 2023-24 season was undoubtedly Panarin’s best ever, and he started it with a bang by setting the Rangers record for longest season-opening point streak. Panarin had 10 goals and 16 assists, and the Rangers were 12-2-1 in that stretch. That streak set New York on the path toward its Metropolitan Division championship and the franchise’s fourth Presidents’ Trophy. It also started Panarin on the way to 120 points, second most in Rangers history.
4. The Broadway Kick
When: Jan. 31, 2020
Why it was great: Panarin often showed off his Rockettes-style leg kick after big goals, but it all started with this highlight-reel tally against the Detroit Red Wings early in 2020. Panarin dangled around Detroit defenseman Alex Biega then snuck a back-hand shot past Jimmy Howard to put the Rangers up 3-0. He sealed the goal with a kick, which became his signature celebration.
3. The Stadium Series OT Goal
When: Feb. 18, 2024
Why it was great: Playing outside at MetLife Stadium in front of a pro-Rangers crowd crowd of roughly 80,000, the Blueshirts fell behind 4-1 in the second period then trailed 5-3 in the late stages of the third period against the rival Islanders. Yet, Chris Kreider deflected Panarin’s point shot on the power play past Ilya Sorokin to make it 5-4. After Zibanejad tied it with another power-play tally, Panarin sent the Rangers fans into delirium by stealing Noah Dobson’s pass on the opening shift of overtime and beating Sorokin for an emotional 6-5 comeback win, though only after video review upheld his OT winner.
2. The OT Tip in Carolina
When: May 9, 2024
Why it was great: Panarin scored the game-winning goal in Game 1 of the Rangers’ second-round playoff series against the Hurricanes, then had three assists in a 4-3 win in Game 2. But the Rangers coughed up a late 2-1 lead in Game 3 on the road when Andrei Svechnikov tied the score with the net empty at the other end. But Panarin’s hard work paid off early in OT, when he got inside position on Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield and redirected Vincent Trocheck‘s pass by Pyotr Kochetkov for the game-winning goal at 1:43 of the extra session, giving the Rangers a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The Rangers ultimately claimed the series in six games.
1. The Series Clincher vs Penguins
When: May 15, 2022
Why it was great: It had been five years since the Rangers won a series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they looked destined for another early exit after losing a three-overtime classic in Game 1 and fell behind 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the best-of-7 first round — especially after they allowed seven goals apiece in Games 3 and 4. But after the Rangers won Games 5 and 6, sending the series to MSG for Game 7, Panarin authored his signature Rangers moment, fittingly on the power play in overtime of the do-or-die game. He dusted off a pass from Adam Fox twice then wristed the game-winner through traffic and past Tristan Jarry, sending the Rangers to the second round.
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