Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen cleared the air on his departure from the Colorado Avalanche in a news conference Saturday.
The 28-year-old, then a pending unrestricted free agent, was traded by the Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes in a blockbuster deal on Jan. 24 in his 10th season with Colorado.
Six weeks before the deadline, we were still negotiating at that point, and I felt at that time I needed to go talk to (the) front office, which I did, face to face. I told them I’ll be flexible, and I want to play here for a long time. Then a couple days later they traded me,” Rantanen told reporters in Denver Saturday.
“I heard about something that this was a family decision. That was not true at all. It was a hockey decision at the end of the day, my hockey career. Family will come wherever I want to go. So I want to correct that one too. It was a hockey decision and nothing else.”
He played just 13 games with Carolina before being acquired by the Stars at the trade deadline on March 7, in exchange for forward Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick.
“First couple days were slow. Little shock. Shock, for sure. But then I went there with an open mind, you know. I never, never listed any teams in that point. I’ve heard somebody say that, you know, I went there with an open mind to play there long term. I tried my best.”
The No. 10 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft also signed an eight-year contract extension worth $96 million with Dallas, which has an average annual value (AAV) of $12 million.
The Stars play the division-rival Avalanche in Denver on Sunday afternoon in what could be a preview of a potential playoff matchup.
When asked what he’s expecting tomorrow when he returns to Ball Arena for the first time since his departure, Rantanen said he hopes fans know his true intentions.
“Personally, emotional. Hopefully, positive from the fans from that standpoint that, you know, like I said, I never wanted to leave. So, it wasn’t like I asked for, asked to leave. So, hopefully, it’s positive. You know, I have good memories here, and gonna be emotional, for sure.”
