Rantanen looks to continue winning ways at World Championship

TAMPERE, Finland --After hoisting silver above his head last season, Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen is hoping to drape gold around his neck this spring.

On home ice, no less.

Rantanen, who won the Stanley Cup last season with the Avalanche, is going for another prize this spring, playing for Finland at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

"I think I just like playing hockey," Rantanen said. "I didn't have any major injuries after the season and felt good. And of course, we play here in Finland. That's a big thing. I've never played Worlds in Finland, so I think that was the major, major key. It's a good atmosphere here. Full house. DJ's are doing a good job making people dance and stuff. It's a lot of fun.

"Obviously, the No. 1 thing is to come here and try to win something."

The Avalanche were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Seattle Kraken, which is why Rantanen is at the World Championship.

Playing in his fourth World Championship and first since 2018, Rantanen has quickly developed into one of Finland's elite faces of hockey, leading all NHL players from his country since the start of the 2016-17 season with 513 points (220 goals, 293 assists) in 481 games.

The numbers include an NHL career-high 105 points (55 goals, 50 assists) in 82 games with Colorado this season -- eighth-most in the NHL, and 27 points ahead of the second-highest Finland-born scorer, Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers.

Understandably, Rantanen is critical to Finland's success in the tournament.

"He might be (underrated)," Finland teammate and New York Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko said. "That's a great season. Maybe we need to talk about him a little more. He's a big player, especially after last year. They won their Stanley Cup and he played well. Great player.

"He's a big player for this team and in the whole tournament, especially over here in Finland."

Rantanen is equally important back in Colorado too and will play a starring role again next season.

The Avalanche (51-24-7) won the Central Division this season and has qualified for the playoffs in six straight seasons. However, captain Gabriel Landeskog will sit out his second straight season in 2023-24 because of a knee injury.

Landeskog, who had surgery in October, had a cartilage transplant in his right knee May 10.

"It's not easy. It's not easy," said Rantanen, who has been teammates with Landeskog since 2015. "It was already a tough year without him. It's very tough off the ice and on the ice. He's one of the best players in the League. Best leader in the League, in my opinion, off the ice. We're just trying to support him."

It will put more pressure on Rantanen to continue his productive ways, which shouldn't be an issue, according to Avalanche teammate Brad Hunt.

"He's such a great player," said Hunt, who played 47 games with Colorado last season. "He's such a great person too. He keeps the room good. He's quiet but he knows he's a big part of that team. Such an amazing player. He sometimes flies under the radar just with how good that top line is. He's a huge part of the team."

Rantanen, who has four assists in four games at the World Championship after he had 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in the playoffs, has a more immediate objective.

He's looking to help Finland win back-to-back gold medals at the World Championship, and their third in four tournaments before turning his attention back to Colorado.

"It would be great," Rantanen said. "The guys did it last year. We try to work hard for that goal that we have again. I think everybody's expecting us to do well, but there's a lot of good teams. It's not going to be easy.

"I didn't just come here for my personal stuff. I came here to try to win. Try to win something big."