Returning to Madison Square Garden on Monday for the first time since his trade from the Rangers last month, Artemi Panarin joked that he was glad the security guards remembered him.
He smiled as he said he hopes Rangers goalie and compatriot Igor Shesterkin has a bad night against his Kings team.
Behind his usual humor and one-liners, however, is a player whose nerves and emotions surrounding his departure from New York are still very raw. That much was evident as Panarin addressed a pretty large contingent of media in English on Monday afternoon, including cameras, a concession he made just for his return to New York.
Panarin glowed while speaking about his time as a Ranger.
