2025 NHL storylines include Panthers, Ovechkin and Olympic hockey
The 2025-26 NHL season gets under way on Oct. 7. Sam Cardona-Norberg shares some key storylines.
Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was ejected for boarding for the second time in three games on Saturday night.
Rantanen received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for his hit from behind on the Calgary Flames‘ Matt Coronato late in the second period. Coronato, who had scored during the first period, crashed hard into the boards and skated off while bent over to the dressing room.
Calgary’s Jonathan Huberdeau jumped Rantanen and both players received fighting majors. Huberdeau also received an instigating penalty and a misconduct.
Coronato was not on the bench at the start of the third period though he eventually returned to the game with a cut on his nose stitched up..
Mikko Rantanen receives a five-minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Matt Coronato.
Coronato went down the tunnel following the hit. pic.twitter.com/Yr0rrVSYXW
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
It was the latest incident in a week in which Rantanen drew the attention of on-ice officials.
Rantanen also received a boarding major and game misconduct for hitting New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov on Nov. 18. That drew an angry response from Islanders coach Patrick Roy.
Romanov was placed on the injured list the following day.
The Stars winger avoided supplemental discipline in that case because he appeared to have clipped skates with another Islanders player before crashing into Romanov.
Rantanen also was fined last week for embellishment.
Tampa Bay Lightning injuries
Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who won the last two NHL scoring titles, left Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals with an unspecified injury. So did Brayden Point.
Coach Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on their status after the game.