Overview
- In an ESPN interview, Rantanen said he was not surprised by the attention on the incident and added he will be ready for the March rematch, saying, “I’m a grown man, so I can stand up for myself,” after Islanders coach Patrick Roy’s postgame remark about the next meeting.
- Rantanen received a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct on Nov. 18 for his late-game hit on Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov.
- Romanov required shoulder surgery and is expected to miss approximately five to six months following the hit.
- Two games after the Islanders incident, Rantanen was ejected again for a hit on Calgary’s Matt Coronato, which combined with the earlier ejection to trigger an automatic one-game suspension.
- Despite the disciplinary incidents, Rantanen remains among the NHL’s scoring leaders with 34 points in 26 games this season.