Navbar

SERIE A ICONS ANDREA PIRLO &amp; MARCO MATERAZZI SWAP JERSEYS WITH NHL STAR MIKA ZIBANEJAD

HeaderContent

Lega Serie A Assembly

Primavera 1 Championship 2025/2026 - Match Schedule 1st - 4th Matchday

Equipment Regulations Sports Seasons 2024-2027

LATEST DOCUMENTS

LatestDocument

RelatedDocument

RELATED PLAYERS

RelatedPlayer

RELATED TEAMS

RelatedTeam

ShareButton

&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;Lega Serie A Ambassadors &lt;strong&gt;Andrea Pirlo&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Marco Materazzi&lt;/strong&gt; were special guests at the &lt;strong&gt;NHL &lt;/strong&gt;showdown between the New York Islanders and their local rivals the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;The Serie A legends soaked in the atmosphere of the rivalry game at one of the world’s most iconic venues, before meeting New York Rangers’s star center &lt;strong&gt;Mika Zibanejad&lt;/strong&gt; to exchange jerseys.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“It was a fantastic experience to witness the intensity and passion of an NHL rivalry game,”&lt;/em&gt; said &lt;strong&gt;Pirlo&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;em&gt;“The energy at Madison Square Garden was intense, and I really enjoyed seeing how the intricacies of the game unfolded up close. And of course, it was a pleasure to meet Mika to discuss his experiences at the top level of hockey.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materazzi &lt;/strong&gt;echoed those sentiments, adding: &lt;em&gt;“I am a big fan of the physicality and speed of hockey, and the atmosphere was similar to a big derby match in Italy. It’s always great to see the elite level of other sports, especially in a wonderful city like New York.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&#34;hm-image-wys&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://img.legaseriea.it/vimages/67c86b4d/16-9-pirlo-materazzi-nhl-ok-jpg-jpeg.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;16-9-pirlo-materazzi-nhl-ok.jpg.jpeg&#34; style=&#34;display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-bottom: 16px; max-width: 100%; width: auto; pointer-events: none;&#34;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;The visit also served as an opportunity to strengthen ties between two of the world’s most biggest and most storied sports leagues. Serie A President Ezio Simonelli met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, engaging in a positive and productive discussion about the virtues of their respective leagues.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“It was a great pleasure to meet Gary Bettman and exchange views on the dynamics of our respective leagues,”&lt;/em&gt; said &lt;strong&gt;Simonelli&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;em&gt;“The NHL represents a model of excellence in the global sports landscape, and sharing growth strategies and common visions was extremely stimulating.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Football and ice hockey have many differences, but also several points in common, starting with the passion of the fans and the ways we can use technology to enhance their experience in the stadium. This meeting was a valuable opportunity to witness firsthand the engagement of fans in the arena—spectators play a central role both here, and in our league. We can draw from these experiences to make sporting events even more engaging and look to the future with a spirit of innovation.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&#34;hm-image-wys&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://img.legaseriea.it/vimages/67c86b99/16-9-simonelli-nhl-jpg-jpeg.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;16-9-Simonelli-nhl.jpg.jpeg&#34; style=&#34;display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-bottom: 16px; max-width: 100%; width: auto; pointer-events: none;&#34;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&#34;text-align: justify;&#34;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&#34;hm-image-wys&#34;&gt;Before bringing the flair of Italian soccer to the ice at Madison Square Garden, Pirlo, Materazzi and Simonelli attended a very special event at Lega Serie A USA’s headquarters in Manhattan. The ‘Calcio Aperitivo’ event, which was attended by the league’s business partners, Italian and American dignitaries, and U.S. media, recognized and celebrated the growth of soccer in the United States and emphasized Italy’s top football league as a key player in the global sports landscape.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The worlds of Italian soccer and hockey intersected at Madison Square Garden on an evening where Lega Serie A President Ezio Simonelli met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman

Content

Composite93

News - Lega Serie A

During a Special Visit to New York City, the Lega Serie A Ambassador Met with Local Dignitaries in Manhattan Before Inspiring Young Players in the Bronx with Street Soccer USA

FROM SERIE A TO THE SOUTH BRONX: ROBERTO BAGGIO’S NEW YORK VISIT INSPIRES ON AND OFF THE PITCH

The Italian football legend was greeted by the enthusiasm of many fans

ROBERTO BAGGIO AMBASSADOR AT SUMMER FANCY FOOD IN NY

PRESS NOTE - RFP BETTING

A new era of fan engagement is born between football, entertainment and live social commerce

BAZR AND LEGA SERIE A ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP

TGI SPORT &amp; LEGA SERIE A DELIVER WORLD-FIRST A1 VIRTUAL MEDIA BREAKTHROUGH DURING COPPA ITALIA FINAL

A Historic Collaboration Unveiled at the New York Gala Celebrating NIAF’s 50th Anniversary.

LEGA SERIE A ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL ITALIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION (NIAF)

Lega Serie A highlighted the league’s expanding footprint in North America with three outstanding events in Miami.

SERIE A MIAMI EVENTS STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY EFFORTS, FAN ENGAGEMENT, AND BUSINESS STRATEGIES

LEGA SERIE A AND BANCOMAT FORMALISE AGREEMENT

Becoming the First Professional Football League to establish an Official Presence on the platform

Serie A Partners with Reddit

Lega Serie A at RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit

ContentRepresentation

SocialFooter

SponsorFooter

Footer

FooterBottom

Radio TV Serie A

RadioBox

Lega Serie A Ambassadors Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi were special guests at the NHL showdown between the New York Islanders and their local rivals the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.The Serie A legends soaked in the atmosphere of the rivalry game at one of the world’s most iconic venues, before meeting New York Rangers’s star center Mika Zibanejad to exchange jerseys.“It was a fantastic experience to witness the intensity and passion of an NHL rivalry game,” said Pirlo. “The energy at Madison Square Garden was intense, and I really enjoyed seeing how the intricacies of the game unfolded up close. And of course, it was a pleasure to meet Mika to discuss his experiences at the top level of hockey.”Materazzi echoed those sentiments, adding: “I am a big fan of the physicality and speed of hockey, and the atmosphere was similar to a big derby match in Italy. It’s always great to see the elite level of other sports, especially in a wonderful city like New York.”<img src="https://img.legaseriea.it/vimages/67c86b4d/16-9-pirlo-materazzi-nhl-ok-jpg-jpeg.jpg" alt="16-9-pirlo-materazzi-nhl-ok.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-bottom: 16px; max-width: 100%; width: auto; pointer-events: none;">The visit also served as an opportunity to strengthen ties between two of the world’s most biggest and most storied sports leagues. Serie A President Ezio Simonelli met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, engaging in a positive and productive discussion about the virtues of their respective leagues. “It was a great pleasure to meet Gary Bettman and exchange views on the dynamics of our respective leagues,” said Simonelli. “The NHL represents a model of excellence in the global sports landscape, and sharing growth strategies and common visions was extremely stimulating.“Football and ice hockey have many differences, but also several points in common, starting with the passion of the fans and the ways we can use technology to enhance their experience in the stadium. This meeting was a valuable opportunity to witness firsthand the engagement of fans in the arena—spectators play a central role both here, and in our league. We can draw from these experiences to make sporting events even more engaging and look to the future with a spirit of innovation.”<div class="hm-image-wys"><img src="https://img.legaseriea.it/vimages/67c86b99/16-9-simonelli-nhl-jpg-jpeg.jpg" alt="16-9-Simonelli-nhl.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-bottom: 16px; max-width: 100%; width: auto; pointer-events: none;"></div>Before bringing the flair of Italian soccer to the ice at Madison Square Garden, Pirlo, Materazzi and Simonelli attended a very special event at Lega Serie A USA’s headquarters in Manhattan. The ‘Calcio Aperitivo’ event, which was attended by the league’s business partners, Italian and American dignitaries, and U.S. media, recognized and celebrated the growth of soccer in the United States and emphasized Italy’s top football league as a key player in the global sports landscape.

SERIE A ICONS ANDREA PIRLO & MARCO MATERAZZI SWAP JERSEYS WITH NHL STAR MIKA ZIBANEJAD

SERIE A ICONS ANDREA PIRLO & MARCO MATERAZZI SWAP JERSEYS WITH NHL STAR MIKA ZIBANEJAD | News

SERIE A ICONS ANDREA PIRLO & MARCO MATERAZZI SWAP JERSEYS WITH NHL STAR MIKA ZIBANEJAD

The worlds of Italian soccer and hockey intersected at Madison Square Garden on an evening where Lega Serie A President Ezio Simonelli met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman

RELATED ARTICLES

SERIE A ICONS ANDREA PIRLO & MARCO MATERAZZI SWAP JERSEYS WITH NHL STAR MIKA ZIBANEJAD | News