Artemi Panarin Returns to Madison Square Garden for First Matchup Against Rangers

Artemi Panarin steps onto the ice at Madison Square Garden with a whirlwind of emotions, just weeks after his trade from the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings. As the Kings prepare to face the Rangers on Monday night, this matchup marks Panarin’s first opportunity to compete against his former team since the trade.

Despite the emotional stakes, Panarin acknowledges the significance of the game, especially with the Kings in the thick of a playoff push in the Western Conference. “We’ll see,” he remarked about the emotions that may surface during the game. “I’ll try not crying. I guess battling for playoffs, I don’t have time for that emotion.”

His departure from New York was a topic of much speculation, particularly as tensions escalated in January. The 34-year-old forward began the 2025-26 season without a long-term contract extension, with his seven-year, $81.5 million deal set to expire at the end of the 2026 offseason. Both Rangers’ president and general manager Chris Drury, alongside Panarin, kept discussions about contract negotiations ambiguous, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his future.

On January 16, Drury issued a letter to fans detailing the team’s plan to retool the roster, which soon led to reports that the Rangers were not planning to re-sign Panarin and were actively seeking a trade ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline. After being held out of the Rangers’ lineup starting January 28 due to roster management, Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous, began exploring options, looking for a team willing to meet their contract demands.

Ultimately, Panarin set his sights on the Kings as his desired destination and willingly waived his no-move clause to facilitate the trade to Los Angeles. Shortly after the trade, he signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Kings. Reflecting on the swift nature of his departure, Panarin expressed mixed feelings, saying, “I feel weird actually. It’ll be in my head, and stay in my head and just walk around. I feel like this ended very quick — I was not expecting that, but I also had seven years here, so it was a great time for me.”

With the past behind him, Panarin now prepares to face the Rangers as an opponent in one of the most iconic arenas in sports.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.