Mikko Rantanen Suspended for One Game After Incident

Mikko Rantanen, the right winger for the Dallas Stars, has been suspended for one game following his second game misconduct of the season during a matchup against the Calgary Flames.

This occurred toward the end of the second period when Rantanen collided with Flames forward Matt Coronato, sending him hard into the boards. Coronato ended up with significant facial injuries, which led to Rantanen making an early exit from the game.

According to the NHL’s Office of Player Safety, “Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen has been automatically suspended for one game under Rule 23.6, Physical Violation Category.” The rule states that a player receiving two misconduct penalties in this category within a regular season game is subject to a suspension for their team’s next league game.

This marks the second major misconduct for Rantanen in his career, occurring just six seasons in. He previously faced penalties for boarding in a game against the New York Islanders, resulting in his ejection late in that match.

Interestingly, Rantanen currently leads the NHL in penalty minutes with a total of 57, notably five minutes ahead of Tom Wilson from the Washington Capitals. Despite the penalties, he has had a productive season with 10 goals and 18 assists so far.

In a close game, Dallas ultimately fell to Calgary 3-2 after a penalty shootout. Goals from Jason Robertson and Lupe Hintz allowed the Stars to tie the game and push it into overtime, but Nazem Kadri of the Flames secured the win with a decisive penalty shot.

The Stars are set to face off against the Edmonton Oilers next Tuesday.