Rantanen suffered game misconduct after charging at forward Matt Coronato from behind in the second period of Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Flames. Coronato was able to finish the game, but Calgary coach Ryan Haska called it “a terrible hit.”
According to sources, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety decided not to hear Rantanen after his latest violation, and instead relied on Rule 23.6 of the NHL rulebook, which mandates an automatic one-game suspension for any player who receives a total of two game misconduct penalties in the “physical violation category” within 41 consecutive regular-season games.
The suspension will require Rantanen to miss Tuesday night’s game against the Oilers in Edmonton, a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, which the Oilers won in five games.
The 29-year-old Rantanen is tied with Jason Robertson for the team lead with 28 points in 22 games (10 goals, 18 assists). With his two ejections, he now leads the team with 57 penalty minutes.
Saturday’s hit was the latest in a tough week for Rantanen.
In last Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Islanders, the Stars winger was also ejected at the end of the game after boarding defenseman Alexander Romanov. That play infuriated Islanders coach Patrick Roy, who made a vulgar comment when Rantanen left the ice and later called the hit “disgraceful”.
Roy said after the game, “I’m going to say that when you see the numbers, you’ve got to go out. Everybody knows that. You don’t go out to that guy.” “I was at Colorado when (Rantanen) was drafted there. It’s not his style. But at the same time, it shouldn’t be a part of our game.”
The Islanders said Sunday that Romanov will undergo shoulder surgery and is expected to be out five to six months.
Rantanen has no history of supplemental discipline in his 11-year career, which has spanned Colorado, Carolina and now Dallas. Rantanen’s only notable history with the NHL’s Player Safety Department prior to this suspension was an embezzlement fine.
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