Stars' Mikko Rantanen Out for Bronze Medal Game

With the finals out of their reach, Finland suffered another setback ahead of their bronze medal game against Slovakia as it was announced that the Dallas Stars' forward would be out of commission.

Feb 4, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) takes the ice as the Stars celebrate their 2026 Winter Olympics hockey players before the game against the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen will miss Finland's bronze medal game after suffering a lower-body injury during last night's Olympic semifinal against Canada, Elliotte Friedman reported.

The 29-year-old alternate captain was hurt in the third period of Finland's heartbreaking 3-2 loss at Milano Santagiulia Arena.

Finnish media reported the lower-body injury following the semifinal defeat. Rantanen will be re-evaluated when he returns to Dallas regarding the severity and timeline of the injury, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.

Return Timeline Uncertain

Feb 20, 2026; Milan, Italy; Mikko Rantanen (96) of Finland celebrates with Sebastian Aho (20) of Finland after scoring a goal during the first period against Canada 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 | James Lang-Imagn Images

Friedman reported the injury is apparently not believed to be season-ending, though exact severity remains to be determined. The Stars will conduct further evaluation once Rantanen rejoins the team following the conclusion of the Olympic tournament.

Rantanen has emerged as one of Finland's most dangerous offensive weapons at Milano Cortina 2026. The right winger leads all Finnish players with six points, including one goal and five assists through five Olympic games.

He scored Finland's opening goal on a first-period power play against Canada before the Finns squandered their 2-0 lead. Nathan MacKinnon completed Canada's comeback with a power-play winner with 35.2 seconds remaining to send the defending champions to the bronze medal game.

Finland Faces Slovakia

Finland battles Slovakia for bronze tomorrow at 2:40 p.m. ET at Santagiulia Arena. The teams previously met in the preliminary round, with Slovakia capturing a 4-1 victory behind strong performances from Juraj Slafkovsky and Samuel Hlavaj.

Rantanen was hurt in third period of yesterday's game vs Canada.

Will be re-evaluated when he returns to Dallas regarding severity & timeline of injury.

EDIT: Apparently not concern this is season-ending...but exact severity TBD https://t.co/GxivYKkYqz

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 21, 2026

The Finns will need to replace Rantanen's offensive production against a Slovakia squad that pushed Team USA before falling 6-2 in yesterday's other semifinal. Roope Hintz, Artturi Lehkonen, and Sebastian Aho must elevate their games to compensate for the absence of Finland's leading scorer.

Juuse Saros will start in goal after making 15 saves against Canada. The Nashville Predators netminder has posted strong numbers throughout the tournament despite Finland's inconsistent defensive play in front of him.

Stars' Implications

Rantanen joined Dallas in a blockbuster trade from Carolina last March and has thrived with his new club. He recorded 20 goals and 69 points in 54 games this season while skating alongside fellow Finnish Stars teammates Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.

The Stars sit in a playoff position and will need Rantanen healthy for their postseason push. Dallas resumes regular-season play after the Olympic break with crucial games remaining before the March 6 trade deadline. Finland plays for bronze while Rantanen begins his recovery process.

The exact timeline for his return to Dallas will become clearer once team doctors complete their evaluation following his departure from Milano.

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