During a single ice hockey game, a player makes thousands of decisions within milliseconds. A large portion of these happen out of habit, especially when a player has more experience. The same things repeat themselves on the ice.

In addition to routine decisions, creativity is needed—the ability to make impulsive decisions on the fly. It is a skill that not everyone necessarily has.

"Game sense and fast thinking on the ice are things that you either have or you don't," says Finnish NHL star Mikko Rantanen. According to the Dallas Stars star forward, game sense is improved if a person has practiced multiple different sports when young, for example. You develop by playing. "But if you still don't have game sense by the age of 15, then you certainly never will—to put it somewhat exaggeratedly."

No matter how good a player's game sense is, decisive puzzles appear before the player like on an assembly line. Every situation is unique, as is every game and opponent. A category of their own are the mental puzzles that arise, for example, when a referee makes what I feel is a wrong decision.

"The big question is, can you keep your composure in that situation?" "And you can't always do it," Rantanen laughs.

When things start getting physical in the hockey rink, a player's nerves are always tested to a greater or lesser extent. You need to have a strong head—especially against an opponent who tries to get under your skin.

"I don't know if I get provoked by an opponent's talk that much," Rantanen says. He learned already as a young player that you shouldn't take those things to heart—or at least you shouldn't show it. The opposing side just gets a boost from it. "I get fired up inside myself if I see that an opponent loses their nerve and starts raging."

If the Finnish star's fuse blows for some reason, the trigger is most often found in the referees' decisions. "Wrong calls, those are hard for me to swallow. I get annoyed by them," Rantanen says. "I get provoked more by that, or if my own or the team's play isn't working." There are opponents who cause Rantanen more headaches than others. These share one thing in common: they play on the edge of the rules.

One dislike above all others is the massive Czech defenseman Radko Gudas. Known by the nickname "The Butcher," the Florida Panthers player is considered one of the dirtiest and most heavy-handed players in the NHL. "They might not be their team's best players, but they make sure you have to stay alert all the time, because anything can come from around the corner," Rantanen says.

The freshly started NHL season will be historic, as the number of regular-season games increases from 82 to 84 for the first time in nearly thirty years. For comparison, Finland's domestic @smliiga is played with about twenty fewer games.

A long series takes its toll, and no one can be the best version of themselves on the ice every single time. Often, even people in the stands notice if one of the players is not performing at their own level.

Off-games happen inevitably, and often the player is aware of it even before the puck drops. The body doesn't feel good or there is a feeling of fatigue – the legs simply don't work. "You can feel it already during the warm-up, and you just think to yourself, what is this going to turn into," Rantanen says. An eternal problem in a hockey player's job is that you are always a little tired. A matter of career choice, then. The sport is evolving and getting faster.

The biggest thing that has changed during Rantanen's long @NHL career is the quality of the players. The crash-and-bang grinders and agitators of the third and fourth lines seem to have disappeared completely. Or if there are agitators, they know how to play nowadays too. Because of that, more goals are scored as well. The spectator rejoices.

Mikko Rantanen has also changed. He has acquired patience and that famous wisdom brought by age. His standards for himself have increased, and games no longer make him nervous the way they used to. Good routines before every single game take care of that.

However, the start of the season and the playoffs still cause extra excitement. "You can still notice it when there is more than the usual amount at stake in the games".

Mikko Rantanen turns a milestone age in the autumn. He hits thirty in October. At the same time, his eleventh season in the NHL begins. During his career, he has had time to represent the @Canes and the @Avalanche, winning the @StanleyCup with the latter in 2022.

Now he has an eight-year contract with the Dallas Stars in his pocket. The long deal brings Rantanen peace of mind. "You don't have to be afraid as much. If an injury happens, for example, you know that things are secured".

The hunger to play is still fierce, however. There is no giving up. The desire to win drives the star forward forward.

"My own ambition is such that I want to be worthy of the contract. That comes from professionalism."