Blood spilled in clash of NHL stars – Mikko Rantanen: "It was great to watch"

Mikko Rantanen witnessed up close as the matchup between the Dallas Stars and his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, ignited into flames on Wednesday night. The most talked-about moment of the heated battle was a bloody fistfight between the two star centers.

Dallas’ Roope Hintz and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon dropped their gloves and went at it fiercely with their fists. Rantanen admitted after the game that he did not expect such a confrontation from the duo.

– Yes, I was surprised. I saw them drop their gloves, and I think Roope landed a really good first punch. Good for him. He is a tough competitor, and of course Nate is quite a tough guy too. Good for Roope, Rantanen smiled in front of the media.

The Finnish star also highlighted the duo’s shared history. There has been tension between Hintz and MacKinnon in previous seasons’ encounters.

– They have faced each other in a couple of playoff series and have played against each other a lot. They have taken many face-offs against one another. Roope got injured last year in such a situation. It was an accident, but there is clearly history between them. Two tough competitors went at it. It was great to watch, Rantanen noted.

Rantanen also found himself in scrums with his former teammates Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog during the game. In these altercations, however, the gloves stayed on.

Colorado ultimately left Dallas with a 3–2 victory in their pocket. A new encounter won’t take long to wait for: the teams will clash again right away tomorrow night in the Avalanche’s home den.

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NHL | 26.10.2026 19:25