During Tuesday night’s NHL game between the New York Islanders and the Dallas Stars, a heated incident occurred when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was ejected for a boarding hit on Islanders defenseman Alex Romanov. The hit, which sent Roman,ov crashing headfirst into the boards, sparked an immediate reaction from New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy, who unleashed a verbal attack on Rantanen as he exited the rink.
Roy’s post-game comments emphasized the severity of the play, expressing concern for Romanov’s well-being and criticizing the hit as disrespectful. The NHL Department of Player Safety will review the incident, though Rantanen is not expected to face further discipline. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan defended Rantanen, suggesting the contact was a result of a clipped skate by Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield. The game concluded with a 3-2 victory for the Islanders after a last-second goal was waved off for goalie interference.
Rantanen, the Stars’ leading scorer with 27 points, hit Romanov from behind, which sent him crashing headfirst into the boards in the final minute of regulation. Rantanen was given a 5-minute major for boarding and ejected from the game. As Rantanen exited the rink between the benches, the broadcast picked up Roy’s verbal attack on the NHL player.