Mikko Rantanen rocking those Dallas colors? Yeah, that’s a sight we’re still getting used to. But before stepping onto the ice as a rival, he got to catch up with his old Avalanche crew over dinner. But once the puck dropped, all that nostalgia got left at the door. The Stars and Avs went at it in a Sunday night thriller, and let’s just say, Ball Arena still knows how to deliver a wild one. Cale Makar? Oh, he did not take long to make a statement, scoring an overtime goal just 34 seconds into the game’s extra period, thereby inspiring the Avalanche to a 4-3 victory. By the way, that is Makar’s sixth career overtime goal. Another day another win for the Avs who are currently on a tear with a record of 8-0-1.

Meanwhile, Dallas fought hard, and Mikko? He made sure to leave a mark, scoring an assist in his first encounter with the team that was a part of his first ten years in the league. From Colorado to Carolina and now wearing the Stars, it has been a roller coaster for not just the big Finn, but also for his fans and teammates. After all, he helped the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in over two decades and etched his name across the franchise’s various leaderboards. But although his departure was a tough pill to swallow, his ex-Avalanche teammate found solace in how it was just history being repeated.

In a video shared by Will Petersen, Erik Johnson didn’t dodge the tough questions about his former teammate Mikko Rantanen. When asked, “Any conversations with Mikko?” Johnson was straight-up: “No, no. Tight divisional game. We’re rivals now, unfortunately.” But don’t let that fool you—there’s still plenty of respect between them. The two met up for dinner the night before, though as Johnson put it, “I’m sure we’ll say hi after, but all business on the ice.”

Of course, the journalist had to dig a little deeper. “How was dinner?” Johnson grinned, “Good, he paid. Free meals are always better, right?” Then came the real talk. When asked if they “got things hashed out,” Johnson didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, we love Mikko. He’s an iconic Avalanche forever. What he did to this organization helped us win the Cup. He’s a tremendous person, tremendous player. We love him as a teammate.”

But hockey is hockey. “Gretzky’s been traded. There’s these great all-time players that have been traded. It happens. Mikko’s not the first and he’s not the last superstar player to get traded.” As much as it stings to see him in another jersey, Johnson made it clear: “We have to move forward. We love the pieces we got in return, but we’ll always love Miko.”

And speaking of big players’ exchanges, how can we not bring up the trade—the one that sent shivers through the hockey community? Back in ‘88, Wayne Gretzky, the undisputed king of the ice, asked to be traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the LA Kings, taking Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley with him. In exchange, the Oilers got Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, several first-round selections, and $15 million. Gretzky was only 27 but, he was already the GOAT, he had more NHL scoring records than anyone else in the history.

Gaining eight Hart Trophies, seven Art Ross trophies, and four Stanley Cups, he was not only an ordinary hockey player; he was Canada’s national treasure. Edmonton adored him, and then, just like that, he was gone, just days after the entire city had come out onto the streets to celebrate his wedding to actress Janet Jones. Revelry gave way to shock, despair, and anger. Phone lines of TV stations, newspapers, and the Oilers’ offices were flooded with calls. An effigy of the then-owner Peter Pocklington was burned. No amount of explanation was enough. Jump to the present day and though the Mikko Rantanen trade is not in Gretzky territory, it still hurts for Avs fans. This man was a franchise player, a Cup winner, and now? He is coming into Ball Arena wearing the uniform of the opposing team.

Mikko Rantanen got a welcome!

Mikko Rantanen was having the time of his life playing for the Avalanche and after almost a decade of dazzling the fans, he was traded to the Hurricanes on the 24th of January, 2025. But hold on—this wasn’t your typical trade-and-settle situation. Just when fans started adjusting to seeing him in a Canes jersey, boom! In the last minute before the deadline of the trade of the NHL, he was traded again, and this time to the Dallas Stars. And then came the ultimate full circle.

On March 16, Rantanen found himself back at Ball Arena, but this time, he wasn’t rocking the Avs’ burgundy and blue—he was suiting up for the Stars, their Central Division rivals. The crowd? Oh, it was a rollercoaster of emotions! Some fans erupted in cheers, some showered him with love, chanting “Mooooooose” like the old days, while others? Yeah, they let the boos fly. The Avalanche-Stars rivalry was already heated, but this? This was personal. As Avalanche beat writer Evan Rawal said it best: “Some booing, some ‘Mooooooose’ and some cheers for Mikko Rantanen, who looked emotional when they cut to him.” And honestly, who wouldn’t be?

Despite this, it was evident that Rantanen still had a lot of love in Denver. Twitter was soon flooded with comments regarding the boos, one fan asking, “Can literally anyone explain why he got booed by anybody? He did nothing wrong.” And they weren’t alone. The love that was showered on the Finnish star was overwhelming, and people were reminded of how much he contributed to the Avs’ success. After all, even the city of Edmonton overcame the pain of letting go of Gretzky as continued to wear his no. 99 to Oilers’ games and take pictures with his statue outside Rogers Place.