Rangers' Zibanejad, Sullivan reach career milestones, 1 day after GM's 'disappointment' letter

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad and coach Mike Sullivan achieved career milestones Saturday, one day after team president and general manager Chris Drury sent a letter to fans expressing disappointment over how the season has gone.

Zibanejad became the Rangers’ all-time leader in power-play goals and tied the franchise record for career hat tricks in New York’s 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The victory was the 500th of Sullivan’s career.

The 32-year-old Zibanejad scored with a man advantage in the second period for his 117th power-play goal. He had shared the Rangers' record with Camille Henry and Chris Kreider, who had 116.

“It’s definitely special,” Zibanejad said after the game. “It means I’ve been given a chance to be here a long time, long enough to get close to that.”

Zibanejad’s ninth hat trick with the Rangers matched Bill Cook’s franchise record.

Sullivan praised Zibanejad for the example he has shown amid a trying season for the Rangers, who snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday.

“He’s really committed to trying to play the game the right way, the way we’re trying to play,” Sullivan said. “I think he’s personified that most of the year. We’ve challenged him to use his size and his physicality, both offensively and defensively. I think he’s really embraced that challenge. He has played extremely well for us.”

The Rangers’ latest challenge came Friday when Drury sent a letter to fans saying that “we know and feel your disappointment with how the season has gone to this point.” The letter indicated changes could be on the way.

“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” Drury wrote. “We are not going to stand pat – a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.”

Zibanejad acknowledged that there were “all kinds of feelings” after the letter was sent out and said he liked the way the team responded. He said “it’s not an easy situation” but added that this kind of win could provide a spark.

“If changes are coming, then try to make the most of the time we have as a group, the group that we have right now,” Zibanejad said.

Sullivan had headed into his first season with the Rangers owning 480 career wins after coaching the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017 during his 10 years in Pittsburgh.

“I’m just grateful,” Sullivan said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach in this league. It’s the greatest league in the world, and it’s an absolute privilege to be part of it in any capacity. To be a head coach for as long as I have at this point has been an incredible honor.”

This latest win was particularly special because of the circumstances leading up to it.

“I just think it speaks volumes for the character of the people in the room,” Sullivan said. “The last couple of days have been pretty emotional for the whole group. To respond with an effort like they did tonight. ... I think is evidence that these guys are quality people, and they care a lot about each other and the Rangers.”

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/NHL

New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad, center, celebrates with teammates Carson Soucy, right, and Scott Morrow after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nathan Chasing Horse will be sentenced next Wednesday for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls, drawing to a close a case that sent shock waves through Indian Country.

The sentencing was scheduled to take place Wednesday, but Judge Jessica Peterson agreed to move the hearing to March 18.

The sentencing of the “Dances With Wolves” actor comes about a month after a Nevada jury convicted him on 13 of the 21 charges he faced. Most related to his conduct with a victim who was 14 when he began assaulting her. Chasing Horse was acquitted of some sexual assault charges.

He faces a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Following the trial, Chasing Horse’s attorney Craig Mueller filed a motion for a new trial, arguing a witness was not qualified to talk about grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired. That motion was denied.

The sentencing wraps a yearslong effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. That initial arrest reverberated around Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada following up with more criminal charges.

The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, though the date of the alleged offense took place in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.

After all of Chasing Horse’s appeals have been exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will assess next steps, Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email Tuesday.

The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s conviction that a warrant remains outstanding against him and said that it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office regarding the warrant.

Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.

Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges related to all three.

Following his appearance as Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film “Dances With Wolves,” Chasing Horse, born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, traveled across Indian Country to attend powwows and perform healing ceremonies.

Multiple victims described how they participated in his ceremonies or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.

The main accuser was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.

He denied the allegations and his attorney questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a “scorned woman.”

FILE - Nathan Chasing Horse appears in court for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls, Jan. 20, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)