Mikko Rantanen is suiting up in Dallas Stars colors now, but stepping back into Ball Arena? Yeah, that’s a whole different story. Sunday’s game against the Avalanche isn’t just another matchup—it’s a homecoming he never wanted. With Colorado hot on Dallas’s heels in the standings, the stakes are high, but for Rantanen, it’s personal. “Obviously, it’s going to be emotional,” he admitted, knowing that every cheer, every boo, every look from the crowd will remind him of what he lost.
He didn’t walk away by choice—far from it. “Never wanted to leave,” he said, holding nothing back. He played his heart out for this city, for these fans, and now, he’s bracing himself for whatever reaction they throw his way. “Hopefully [it’s] positive from the fans,” he added, hoping Denver still remembers the good times. And man, that trade! It hit him like a freight train.
One day he’s an Ave, the next he’s shipped to Carolina, no heads-up, no say in it. “Obviously, first couple days [in Carolina] were a little shock, for sure,” he admitted, still processing how fast everything changed. He never made a list of teams, never planned for an exit. He just got caught in the business facet of the game—something even bigger names have dealt with. “Better players than me have been traded in the history of NHL,” he said, trying to make peace with it.
But the sting of leaving never really faded. And now, Mikko Rantanen’s heartfelt confession about his Colorado Avalanche exit has NHL fans fired up as he braces for an emotional return to Denver. One line from Mikko Rantanen hit fans right in the feels, and they just couldn’t shake it off. Jesse Montano, covering the Colorado Avalanche for @guerillasports_-@gs_off_ice, took to X on March 15 and dropped the bombshell: “I never wanted to leave” – Mikko Rantanen.” And that’s all it took for the floodgates to open.
One fan couldn’t help but make a wild throwback, chiming in with, “With the knowledge that Rantanen didn’t want to leave, this feels similar to the Broncos Dumervil situation where he ended up leaving due to a late fax from Kinko’s. Seems Mikko’s agent took too hard a stance with Avs front office.” And, oh boy, that comparison hit like a slap shot to the face. For those who need a little refresher, back in 2013, Elvis Dumervil had a deal to stay in Denver, agreeing to a $4-million pay cut. But then? Chaos. Just as the deadline struck 4 p.m. ET, the Broncos got word that he had accepted the deal—only for absolute mayhem to unfold.
Nine minutes too late, and boom—Mike Klis of the Denver Post dropped the hammer: Dumervil’s contract didn’t get filed in time, and just like that, he was a free agent. What followed? A full-blown blame game between player, agent, and front office. Now, history might not be exactly repeating itself, but NHL fans are seeing shades of that same messy drama, and let’s just say—they’re not thrilled. But this was just the beginning!
