
Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen takes offence to comments from teammate’s dad, breaks out of slump
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen said he had added incentive for his big game Monday night after taking offence to comments from the dad of one of his teammates concerning his off-season work ethic.
Ismo Lehkonen, a hockey analyst and the father of injured Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen, told Finnish public broadcaster YLE earlier Monday that Rantanen’s recent slump may be because “he didn’t have a terribly swell summer.” Rantanen responded with a goal and two assists, including a pass that helped set up the winner by Nathan MacKinnon in a 6-5 comeback win over the Calgary Flames.
“It feels good. It’s actually one thing where I got a lot of extra energy,” Rantanen told media after the game. “One of our Finnish NHL player’s dad was talking (expletive) about me in the media, that I didn’t train last summer like I used to do. (He) was making things up. That was for him. If you talk (expletive), it’s going to come back at you.”
Rantanen’s teammate and fellow countryman, Artturi Lehkonen, has been sidelined with a neck injury since Nov. 9 when he crashed headfirst into the boards. They were both integral pieces when the Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup title.