Stars forward Mikko Rantanen receives cheers, some boos, in 1st game against Avs since he was traded

DENVER (AP) — Mikko Rantanen went out to dinner the night before with some of his old Colorado Avalanche teammates to catch up. He stepped onto the ice Sunday with them as his newest rivals.

Being back at Ball Arena for the first time as a visitor was a surreal experience for Rantanen. The new Dallas Stars forward took it all in — and now is moving on.

“Playing against them is not that fun, because they’re obviously good players and a good team,” Rantanen said after Cale Makar scored 34 seconds into overtime to give Colorado a 4-3 win.

Rantanen appreciated the fan support throughout the game. He tapped his heart as the video screen showed highlights in the first period of his decade-long Avalanche career, culminating with him hoisting the Stanley Cup.

The crowd greeted Rantanen with a mixture of cheers of “Moose” — his nickname — and, of course, some boos. Once a fan favorite, Rantanen is now a fierce rival following his arrival with the Stars.

“Obviously, the video and reception from the fans, I’ll never forget that,” said Rantanen, who also watched a pregame tribute to former linemate Nathan MacKinnon in celebration of the Avalanche forward reaching 1,000 career points. “The fans had my back for 10 years, so it means a lot.”

No surprise, Rantanen heard the most boos when his name was announced on an assist to set up the first goal of the game for the Stars.

“I thought he handled it exceptionally well,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said of Rantanen's return. “I’m proud of how he played tonight, considering the circumstances. He’s just going to get better and better for us."

Makar was one of the players to have dinner with Rantanen on Saturday night.

“We had to fight for him to pay the bill,” Makar cracked. “It’s always good to see Mikko. It’s unfortunate that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him now, but, yeah, it’s good.

“He's an amazing guy. We all love him and I know he loves us, too.”

It’s been a whirlwind of emotions for Rantanen since he was traded to Carolina on Jan. 24. That particular move caught him off guard. Rantanen, the 10th overall selection by Colorado in 2015, was set to be a free agent this summer and figured the sides were simply negotiating.

“At the end of the day, I always wanted to stay in Colorado,” Rantanen said Saturday. “That was the plan, and that’s what I told the front office, too. I told them face-to-face that I was going to be flexible, but I understand. Better players than me have been traded in the history of NHL. So it happens. It’s part of the business.”

Rantanen was a popular figure in the Colorado locker room and helped the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup title. His name remains all over the franchise’s career leaders list, including the sixth-highest goal scorer with 287.

As part of a three-team trade that landed Rantanen in Carolina, the Avalanche received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

"I went there with an open mind to play there long term,” Rantanen said. “I tried my best.”

He played in 13 games with the Hurricanes and had two goals and four assists.

On March 7, Carolina sent Rantanen to the Stars for forward Logan Stankoven and draft picks. Rantanen agreed to an eight-year, $96 million contract with Dallas.

“I’m very happy to be here now,” said Rantanen, who has two goal and two assists in four games with the Stars. “It’s a good team, and they’ve been good, successful the last couple years. They have a good, young core, great coach, so it's good."

Stars teammate Matt Duchene, who also started his career with the Avalanche, was impressed with how Rantanen handled the emotions of his Colorado return. Not only that, but how he's fitting in after the trade to Dallas.

“I’ve seen what he can do. We’ve all seen it, and we’ve seen glimpses of it," Duchene said. "As he continues to get comfortable, he’ll take right off.”

The way it's shaping up, the Stars and Avalanche could very well square off in the first round of the playoffs. The teams met last season in a second-round series that Dallas captured in six games.

“It’s two good teams,” Rantanen said. “It will be a good one, for sure.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen warms up before an NHL hockey game against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, left, makes a pad-save of a shot by Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen, right, in the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen warms up before an NHL hockey game against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen warms up before an NHL hockey game against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen steps on the ice to warm up before an NHL hockey game against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least 200 people. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the ministry based at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, provided the updated figure on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire. It was not immediately clear if the operation was a one-time pressure tactic or if the 17-month-old war was being resumed altogether.

Hamas warned that Israel’s new airstrikes breached their ceasefire and put the fate of hostages in jeopardy.

Here's the latest:

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price.”

Israeli officials said the latest operation was open-ended and was expected to expand.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the “Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight.”

“As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran — all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America — will see a price to pay: All hell will break lose,” Leavitt continued, speaking to Fox News on Monday evening.

Leavitt is one of three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First- and Fifth-Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

A dead person killed during an Israeli army strike is taken into the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)

Palestinians walk amid the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip on Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians walk surrounded by the rubble of destroyed homes and building in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)