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Stars coach confirms disappointing Mikko Rantanen Olympics injury
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- Stars coach confirms disappointing Mikko Rantanen Olympics injury
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After losing to Team Canada in the semifinal of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina last week, Team Finland's Mikko Rantanen was surprisingly scratched for the bronze medal game with a lower-body injury.
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Although his country was able to capture third place — beating Team Slovakia 6-1 on Saturday — the superstar forward won't be an option for his Dallas Stars for at least the next couple of contests, head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed on Tuesday.
"I don't have a full update," Gulutzan told reporters in Dallas, per NHL.com. "I would say to you that we are going to miss him for a little bit here, but I don't know quite [the extent]. He's going to see [the doctor] today, but I wouldn't expect him for the first game or maybe even the first two."
Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman first reported the news that Rantanen had suffered an injury, which occured in the third period of a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Canada — a game the Finns led 2-0.
"Rantanen was hurt in third period of yesterday's game vs Canada. Will be re-evaluated when he returns to Dallas regarding severity and timeline of injury," Friedman reported on Saturday.
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"Apparently not concern this is season-ending…but exact severity TBD."
Stars cannot afford to lose Mikko Rantanen long-term
The Stars are going to need Rantanen if they hope to advance to a fourth consecutive Western Conference Final this spring. Although they're a lock to make the playoffs at 34-14-9 with 25 games left, the path to Stanley Cup glory is going to be as hard as ever.
Standing in the way in a powerhouse Central Division are the Minnesota Wild , who boast three players who just won gold with the Team USA in Milan: Quinn Hughes , Brock Faber and Matt Boldy .
The Wild could get even better ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline, and they're the most likely opponent for the Stars in Round 1. If that does come to pass and Dallas is able to get through Minnesota, it'll probably be a date with the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche next, who are chasing history in 2025-26.
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All that to say, the Stars need Rantanen healthy. He leads the team with 69 points in 54 games, and he helps form one of the most dominant top lines in the National Hockey League.
The hope is that the Finnish superstar will only miss a couple of games before returning to the ice, but considering he's going to be seeing a doctor this week, there is no guarantee.
Gulutzan's group entered the Olympic break on a six-game winning streak, and they'll look to continue that torrid play down the stretch. Up first is a two-game homestand this week; the Stars host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday and Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Related: Stars rumors: Mikko Rantanen could 'miss some time' with Olympics injury
