“Now we’ve got a great opportunity,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said before Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. Turns out, his confidence wasn’t misplaced. The coach extended his Game 7 record to 9-0 as the Stars clinched a comeback victory against the Colorado Avalanche at American Airlines Center to send the visitors packing from the playoffs. However, it was an emotional day at work for Dallas’ right winger, Mikko Rantanen.
After almost a decade with the Colorado Avalanche, Rantanen spent a short stint with the Carolina Hurricanes before ultimately choosing to play for the Dallas Stars. And as hockey fate would have it, the Fin became the architect behind the Avalanche’s postseason campaign coming to an end today. Early into the third period, Dallas trailed 2-0. But it wasn’t long before Mikko came up with a clutch performance to tie the score 2-2 and even score his third a while later to bring the Stars a 4-2 victory. And yet, after the match, the NHL star admitted that there wasn’t any bad blood between him and his former comrades. But the fans weren’t having any of it.
Spittin’ Chiclets’ post from May 3 shared Mikko Rantanen’s mixed emotions from after today’s Game 7 between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche. During the post-match interview at the ringside, the ESPN reporter noted how the winger played a crucial role in the hosts’ victory at the expense of Rantanen’s former club. But true to his Suomi nonchalance, Mikko was all about business. “The belief in the group, the whole team of ours…obviously they got a goal in the first shift of the third, but we just kept going, you know? There was still chatter on the bench, but we knew we needed to earn a couple bunces, and we did, and big win. I’m happy for the group,” Rantanen said.
However, at that point, the reporter seemed to have noticed that Mikko was more about his current club than brooding over how his first postseason in Dallas proved to be costly for the Avs. The reporter asked what it was like for the NHL celebrity to go through the handshake lineup after the final whistle of the game. “Emotional,” admitted the Finnish hockey star without dropping a heartbeat.
“They’re my brothers. I still love every one of them. We were enemies in the series on the ice, but they’re my dear friends off the ice. I love every one of ’em,” Mikko Rantanen noted what made his first postseason away from the Avalanche’s banner such a rollercoaster ride. As a Colorado star, the winger racked up 34 goals in the playoffs. While for the Stars, he already has 5 goals (including the hat trick) and 7 assists for the Stars in the postseason.
“They’re my brothers. I still love every single one of them. It was emotional.”
Mikko had nothing but respect for his former team after a hard fought 7 game series
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 4, 2025
With 106 points, the Dallas Stars finished the regular season in second place in the Central Division, while the Avs came just behind with 102 points. Naturally, it was poised to be a thrilling postseason match-up with both teams flexing their muscles. And it was, indeed. Ahead of today’s match, the seven-game series was tied 3-3, making sure the fans from both camps were kept on their toes until the very end. Moreover, with other matchups running their courses in 5 or 6 matches, the seventh game has become a rarity at this year’s playoffs. But Rantanen knows he’ll have to exercise caution going forward.
“It’s only gonna get harder…I think it prepares us well,” the Stars’ star said into the mic. However, as Mikko savors his and the team’s success, fans weren’t at all happy about how he’s making things work after jumping ship.
Mikko Rantanen’s former fans turn against him
In Game 6, Rantanen had one goal and three assists, and after tonight’s boasts 12 points in the first round. Naturally, seeing someone as skilled as him lending his skills to their divisional foes has the Colorado fans irate. Furthermore, today’s Game 7 also saw Mikko post his second-straight four-point period. And to think this same player was traded by the Avalanche earlier this year because a middle ground couldn’t be reached! And after his contributions behind the Central Division heavyweight’s exit tonight, fans couldn’t justifiably hold back their grunts. “Could have stayed in Denver on the same contract. Douche,” one annoyed fan couldn’t help but bellow how he should have been playing blue and burgundy stripes.
Rantanen, though, was heartbroken to leave the Avs. “At the end of the day, I always wanted to stay in Colorado,” he said back in March. And yet, while the Avalanche camp itself only has good things to say about him, fans weren’t so kind. “Traitor,” one fan called out the former Avalanche winger despite Rantanen acknowledging that he still considers Colorado a part of him.
Mikko Rantanen was on a $9.25 million AAV contract that was set to expire when the Avs reportedly decided that they could not afford to give him the raise that he wanted. “Should have paid that man his money,” one fan suggested that the Avs might have made a blunder after all. Another echoed the same sentiments, “Should never traded a player like this so many teams want one very hard to get now Colorado will suffer.”
Colorado last missed the second round of the playoffs in 2023. So Mikko Rantanen’s message for his former camp tonight seemed like alligator tears for some fans. “I don’t care sc— him. If loved them so much he would’ve signed the extension but he didn’t,” one fan’s blunt comment read. How about you? How do you feel about Rantanen knocking out his former team?
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