Mikko Rantanen made all kinds of history while owning the Avs in Game 7

Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland traded Mikko Rantanen in January.

Rantanen got the last laugh, ending the Avs season on Saturday night in Game 7 as a member of the Dallas Stars.

Yes, MacFarland traded Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, but he eventually ended up in Texas and now has a chance to win the second Stanley Cup of his career. The Avs won’t be the champions this year.

And the way Rantanen did it was a kick to the gut for Colorado fans.

He scored three goals in the third period after his team was down 2-0, and had four points in a stunning 4-2 win. In fact, check out all the history Mikko Rantanen made in the process.

Mikko Rantanen just rewrote the history books 🤩

He’s now the first NHL player ever to:

🏒 Record a third‑period hat trick in a Game 7
🏒 Net a Game 7 hat trick against his former team
🏒 Have four‑point periods in back‑to‑back games
🏒 Drop a four‑point Game 7 on a former team… pic.twitter.com/87Jfobc1zX

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 4, 2025

Think about all that for a second. It’s remarkable. And yet, the Avalanche moved him six weeks before the NHL trade deadline. They didn’t want to use that valuable time to try to work out a long-term contract extension.

As Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said after his team’s comeback win, Mikko Rantanen “took over the series.” It sure looked that way, and the numbers above back it up.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer on Mikko Rantanen's epic Game 7:

"Let's be honest, he took over the series… What you witnessed there was special. This is the best league in the world against one of the top 5 teams in the world. And what he did there down the stretch was special." pic.twitter.com/yJJv7OMRRo

— Jonah Javad (@JonahJavad) May 4, 2025

There is no perspective for Avs fans on a day like today. A year that had legitimate title aspirations is over. And it was Rantanen of all people ending their season.

A long few months awaits, and major changes could be coming. We’ll have to live with a Game 7 collapse until this time next year, when hopefully Colorado gets another chance in the postseason.

Until then, Avalanche fans will be wondering what could’ve been. Mikko Rantanen will keep playing hockey while their team heads for vacation.

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