The Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche have built one of the fiercest rivalries in the NHL over the last couple of years, and now that has been taken up another notch. The two teams will go at it again on Sunday in a game with a ton of playoff implications in the Western Conference, but that isn’t the top storyline.
New Stars winger Mikko Rantanen will be making his return to Colorado in this one after a very busy trade deadline. In January, the Avalanche dealt Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes amid a contract dispute, and then the impending free agent was traded to Dallas where he inked a new eight-year extension.
Despite the trade, Rantanen still has a lot of love for Colorado. Before the game, the Fin spoke about the emotions of playing in front of the Denver crowd as an opposing player for the first time, via Ryan Boulding of NHL.com.
“Obviously, it’s going to be emotional. [Been] playing in front of these great fans in Denver for a long time,” Rantanen said, per Boulding. “Hopefully [it’s] positive from the fans. From [my] standpoint, like I said many times, [I] never wanted to leave. It wasn’t like I asked to leave. So hopefully it’s positive. I have good memories here.”
Rantanen was seeking a new extension with the Avalanche, but it was murky on where the hangup was between the two sides. Eventually, Colorado opted for the return of Martin Necas and Jack Drury from the Hurricanes instead of giving Rantanen the deal that he wanted.
“It was hard, for sure, because, at the end of the day, I always wanted to stay in Colorado,” Rantanen said. “That was the plan, and that’s what I told the front office too. I told them face-to-face that I was going to be flexible, but I understand. Better players than me have been traded in the history of NHL. So it happens. It’s part of the business.”
Rantanen has three points in three games for the Stars since being traded before the deadline.
This game could also be a preview of the first round of the playoffs as the Stars and the Avs are on a collision course for a best-of-seven series to open the postseason. The two squads currently sit comfortably in second and third place in the Central Division, respectively, which would match them up right away.
A series between Rantanen and his old team would be a sight to see, and hockey fans will get a sneak peek of it on Sunday.
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