IS: Mikko Rantanen’s NHL decision has a crazy price – “I am a humble guy from Nousiainen”
Dallas Stars’ star forward Mikko Rantanen made a decision in the spring of 2025 that could have cost him tens of millions of dollars. However, the Finnish star does not seem to regret his choice.
Rantanen tells Ilta-Sanomat in an interview why he signed an eight-year, 96 million dollar contract with Dallas, even though he knew NHL salaries were on the rise.
– I knew that the salary cap was going to rise significantly. But my mental situation started to become difficult after all that hassle. That’s why I wanted certainty in my life with a long contract, Rantanen explains.
Rantanen’s spring had been quite a rollercoaster. The Colorado Avalanche traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in January, from where he moved to Dallas in March.
After two player trades, the Finn had had enough of the constant uncertainty.
– After that, I just wanted to focus on hockey, he says.
Rantanen’s annual salary of 12 million dollars now seems quite modest compared to the new massive contracts in the NHL. For example, Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov earns 17 million dollars a season.
Rantanen’s annual salary could be four to five million dollars higher in the current market.
The millions that the Finn may have missed out on do not really shake him.
– It doesn’t really matter to me in the long run whether the amount is 12 or 16 million per season. I’m just a humble guy from Nousiainen, and I don’t buy new cars every week, Rantanen remarks.
Rantanen still reminds that players’ desire to earn according to their market value is completely understandable.
– Of course, everyone wants to earn according to their market value. The same amount that others are getting.
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