Stars' Mikko Rantanen breaks silence after escaping supplemental punishment for ugly hit on Ramanov

Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen has commented on his hit that injured New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety decided he will not face supplemental punishment. Rantanen had only received a five-minute major for boarding and was ejected from the game.

The play happened late in the third period. Rantanen hit Romanov from behind, and Romanov went into the boards face-first. Romanov needed help to leave the ice. He later went on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He will miss at least three games.

Speaking to the media after the incident, Rantanen said he did not intend to cause harm.

"Ah, obviously never, never meant to do that," Rantanen said. "Never done that my whole career. You know, I play hard but never, never tried to be dirty on purpose.

"So, you know, I think I got clipped a little bit and then kept falling forward. But yeah, unfortunate moment, but never, never really meant to do it. But hopefully it's not too bad."

Mikko Rantanen also said he contacted Alexander Romanov to wish him well and explain the hit wasn’t intentional. However, Romanov has not responded yet.

The Reports from Player Safety explained that contact with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield affected the play. This played a role in the league’s decision not to suspend Rantanen.

Even Stars coach Glen Gulutzan had defended Rantanen, mentioning that the hit happened because Rantanen was tied up with Mayfield.

"I've seen Rants play enough over the last 10 years that it's just one of those hockey plays that happen," Gulutzan said to the media on Tuesday, after the game. "I hope Romanov is OK. ... It's a dangerous play for everybody."

Rantanen continues to have a strong season for Dallas. He has 26 points in 19 games and plays over 21 minutes per night.

Patrick Roy's comment on Mikko Rantanen's hit

However, NY Islanders coach Patrick Roy was very upset on the bench. He later said players must hold up when they see an opponent’s number. Roy said the hit from Mikko Rantanen was “disrespectful."

"When you see the number, you have to lay off," Roy said, via Rob Taub. "Everybody knows that. I mean, you don't go through the guy, and I am proud of the way our guys handled it afterwards. No one was happy to see someone get hurt like this."

The game became tense after the hit from Mikko Rantanen. And it will be interesting to see if this hit sparks another night full of rivalry between both teams. The Islanders and Stars will meet again on March 26.