Gaborik is living large, but injury imperils return

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: October 29, 2009 - 11:37 PM

When Marian Gaborik walks out of his luxury apartment in Manhattan, he's a stone's throw from Central Park and a few blocks from Lincoln Center.

He plays in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, and as the New York Rangers' resident star, he's treated like royalty.

Life is good for Gaborik, 27, who left the laid-back lifestyle of Minneapolis and team-team-team mentality of the Wild for the big time.

"I came there to play hockey, but MSG, there's a lot of energy and excitement, and in the whole city," said Gaborik, who met with the Wild media at the Saint Paul Hotel on Thursday night. "It's a fast-paced life. You live in the capital of the world pretty much."

On the ice, things were going great for Gaborik, the Wild's career leading scorer, until he was injured Monday. He had 10 goals and 18 points in 12 games, but a "lower-body" injury (looks like right knee) might keep him out of tonight's return to Minnesota.

He hopes to skate this morning in an attempt to play.

"We'll see how it is when I wake up," Gaborik said. "Of course, the closer I was getting to this game, I was thinking about it more and more. It would be nice to play, but I don't want to ... get it worse.

"It'd definitely be special to skate out there and try to beat your old team, especially in front of these great fans."

Gaborik loves the Rangers' skating system, the loosened checking in the neutral zone in the Eastern Conference and the reduced travel.

"You sleep in your own bed every night pretty much," Gaborik said.

On the Wild, Gaborik said, "I watched a couple games, and it's weird them playing a different system. So far I don't know if it suits them the way they wanted. I'm a little surprised they're 3-9."

Richards will decide if Sykora plays tonight

Wild coach Todd Richards said he hopes Petr Sykora comes in with the "attitude of sticking it to the coach," but Richards said the coaching staff hasn't decided if the veteran winger, who was scratched against Nashville, will play tonight.

"He is a proven scorer, but there's so much more that goes to playing the game of hockey than just finishing," Richards said of Sykora, 32, who has scored 20 or more goals for 10 consecutive seasons. "He's been through [being scratched elsewhere] before, and I'm expecting him to be a professional and come out, and yes, have something to prove, ... 'that you made the wrong decision and I'm going to show you.'"

Richards said the coaches went over with Sykora "some of the areas he needs to be better at," but Sykora said, "They haven't told me what I'm doing wrong, so I don't know. It's up to him if he plays me or not."

Police probe threat

The St. Paul police department is investigating an e-mail threat directed at Wild players and management during Wednesday's game, police spokeswoman Janet Dunnom confirmed.

Dunnom said, "It's very vulgar. Threatening."

Wild players left the arena out a different exit and were informed of the threat Thursday.

Staff writer Anthony Lonetree contributed to this report.

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