Stars' Mikko Rantanen (lower body) out at least two weeks

Field Level Media|published: Tue 24th February, 14:37 2026

Feb 20, 2026; Milan, Italy; Sam Bennett (9) of Canada checks Mikko Rantanen (96) of Finland into the boards during the second period in a men's ice hockey semifinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images

Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen will miss at least the next two weeks due to the lower-body injury he sustained during the Milan Cortina Olympics, head coach Glen Gulutzan said on Tuesday.

Gulutzan added that Rantanen is expected to return to the Stars before the end of the season. He was placed on injured reserve Monday.

"It won't be one or two games," Gulutzan said. "Let's start at two weeks, and we'll see where it goes from there. He'll be out for some time."

Rantanen, 29, was injured in Finland's game against Canada and did not suit up in the bronze-medal match against Slovakia. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games for the Finns.

He has a club-best 49 assists and 69 points to go along with 20 goals in 54 games with the Stars this season.

"He's hard to replace," Gulutzan said. "It's just opportunity for other guys to get more time and step up in that role. You can't replace a player like him, but you can mitigate the loss for a bit, and that's what we're going to try to do with different guys."

Signed to an eight-year, $96 million contract, Rantanen has totaled 774 points (314 goals, 460 assists) in 706 career games with the Colorado Avalanche (2015-25), Carolina Hurricanes (2025) and Stars (2025-26). He was selected by Colorado with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.

--Field Level Media

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