Mikko Rantanen broke historical boundaries – Joe Sakic congratulated

Mikko Rantanen wrote his name in Finnish hockey history the night before Good Friday.

The forward scored 50 regular season goals in one season. Scoring 50 goals is highly regarded in North American hockey circles.

The historic goal came against the San Jose Sharks.

– Yes, it felt good, no doubt. It was pretty close for a while. It’s kind of a relieving feeling when you score a goal like that. Then you don’t have to think about it anymore, Rantanen shared his thoughts to Iltalehti.

17 shots and receipts

The Colorado Avalanche forward doesn’t admit to being nervous about breaking the 50-goal mark.

– However, the matter is somehow in the mind when approaching such a limit. In the game before the record, I had a total of 17 shots. Kai subconsciously tried to shoot it and break the boundary. We laughed about it with the guys after the game. The chain friends acknowledged that there is no need to feed anymore, “Rane” laughs.

– But there was no time to worry about that, because there were still so many games left.

Came from Rantas Jari Kurrin and, after Teemu Selänte, only the third Finnish NHL player of all time to break the 50-goal mark in the regular season.

The last time a Finn managed the same trick was in the 1997–1998 season, when Selänne scored 52 hits.

Payroll receipt

The Avalanche players were happy about the success of their beloved Finnish teammate.

– The guys congratulated and were excited for me, and the coaching seemed to be too.

However, perhaps the most memorable congratulation came from the Avalanche’s general manager From Joe Sakic. Canadian Sakic is a former top player who won, among other things, two Stanley Cups and Olympic gold.

Senteri broke the 50-goal mark twice in the NHL regular season.

How did Sakic congratulate?

– Welcome to the club, kid. (Welcome to the club, son). This is exactly how it went. Nothing else.

Also 100 points

Rantanen’s fireworks continued the night before Monday. That’s when Rantanen scored 2+2 when the Avalanche beat the Anaheim Ducks in overtime 5–4.

With Tehoilla, the forward broke the magical 100-point mark in one season in the regular season.

– Of course, that also felt good. When I was close, I wanted to break that line. There were still victories in both of these games, where the boundaries were broken. It was a great thing.

– If there had been losses in those games, it would have dampened the feeling a bit, the TPS student thinks.

50 goals or 100 points, which do you value more?

– I do not know. This is a difficult question. Both are quite difficult to get done. Maybe 50 goals is a bit rarer. Maybe I value 50 goals a little more, says Finland’s best puck player at the moment.

Rantanen is the first Finnish NHL player in the 2000s to break the 100-point mark in the regular season.

Among the Finns, only Jari and Teemu have been able to do the same, i.e. break the 50 goal limit and score more than 100 points in a season, how does it feel to be in the club?

– It is an honor if my name is mentioned in the same sentence as them. It features two of Finland’s best players.

– Especially Teme was my role model as a little boy. Jari played so much earlier that I didn’t actually watch his games. But I’ve watched clips of Jari’s goals afterwards. He also had a great career.

Rantanen has not yet received a personal congratulatory message from either hockey legend.

Selänne remembered the 50 goals man with a Twitter post. In it, a young Rantanen poses next to Selänte.

– It was funny. I went to Teemu’s ice hockey camp in Vuokatti three or four summers in a row. We made a trip there for a week with the whole family. The picture was taken in Vuokatti.

Thanks to home and TPS

Rantanen broke the respected boundaries at the age of 26. There are still years and hundreds of matches left in the man’s career.

However, when it comes to big milestones, it’s good to slow down for a while and think about who has supported you along the way.

– The first thank you goes to my parents for allowing me to go to training. However, that’s where it all starts. They made my hobby possible, the NHL star says humbly.

– I also want to thank all the TPS junior coaches who coached me – as well as the TPS league coaches. Thanks for the help and advice. They have made me the person and player I am now.

A diamond in nature

Ice hockey multitasker Ismo Lehkonen has followed Rantanen’s activities closely for years. Lehkonen’s son Artturi also plays for Avalanche, but is currently injured.

Rantase has a couple of diamond-hard features.

– His competitive drive is so huge. Miko’s character is insanely tough. He always finds ways that can be seen on the scoreboard, thinks Lehkonen.

– Mikko has a great ability to recognize the situations in the game and what is needed there at any time. When to wake up the team, when to defend, build a game or give a guy a hard time, Lehkonen continues.

“Has boiled over”

At the beginning of April, Rantanen reached 500 points in his NHL career. Even though the man’s season is going brilliantly, Rantase has also seen atypical things during the season.

Like bickering with the spectators in the ice box and mouthing off to the judges.

– It’s been a bit overcooked at times, I admit. There was a bit of stress in January when there were losses. I’ve been talking a little too much to the judges. But I’ve tried to calm down. However, they are completely useless ice creams.

– The judges are trying their best. It’s not always easy for them in this business either. I just got frustrated.

The actual buck league bad boy Rantanen still hasn’t won the award. One of the best strikers in the world has taken exactly one ice hockey this season.