Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen has been handed an automatic one-game suspension by the NHL following his second game misconduct penalty in less than a week. The scoring leader will be forced to sit out Tuesday's crucial matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.
Second Ejection Leads to Suspension
The suspension comes after Rantanen's latest ejection during Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome. The 29-year-old Finnish winger received a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for a dangerous hit from behind on Flames forward Matt Coronato.
The hit left Coronato with a significant cut on the bridge of his nose that required extensive stitching to close. This marked the second time in four days that Rantanen had been ejected from a game for a boarding violation.
Pattern of Dangerous Play
Rantanen had previously been assessed a five-minute boarding penalty and game misconduct just four nights earlier for a controversial check on New York Islanders defenceman Alexander Romanov. The back-to-back ejections triggered the NHL's automatic suspension rule for players accumulating multiple game misconducts in the physical infractions category.
Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska didn't mince words when asked about Rantanen's hit on Coronato. "I thought it was a terrible hit," Huska stated. "Didn't we just see that on TV? I didn't think it was a good hit at all."
League Explanation and Impact
The NHL clarified the suspension in an official release, explaining that "Mikko Rantanen has been automatically suspended for one game under Rule 23.6, Physical Infractions Category." The rule states that any player who incurs two game misconduct penalties in the Physical Infractions Category before playing 41 consecutive games without such penalty faces an automatic one-game suspension.
Despite being known primarily as an offensive threat who currently shares the Stars' team scoring lead, Rantanen has suddenly found himself leading the league in an unexpected category: penalty minutes. The forward has accumulated 57 penalty minutes this season, putting him at the top of the league in that disciplinary category.
Rantanen's absence creates a significant challenge for the Stars as they prepare to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The team will need to compensate for the loss of one of their top scorers during this important divisional matchup.
