After a hectic season involving countless trade rumours, eventual trades to the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars and tense contract negotiations, it wouldn't be a surprise if Mikko Rantanen was hoping for the start of his 10th NHL season and first full season in Dallas to go more smoothly than last year.
Yet the two time 100-point scoring right winger is already facing off-ice issues ahead of the season. As originally reported by Helsinigin Sanomat, a paper in Finland, Mikko Rantanen is currently facing a fine totalling up to 85,000 euros—or around $99,000 USD.
Rantanen being accused by a prosecutor in Finnish regional courts for an unauthorized absense from his millitary service. Rantanen is from Finland, one of the handful of countries including Switzerland and Russia with compulsory millitary service.
Often times players from these countries, such as New Jersey Devils' Swiss forward Nico Hischier and Finnish Utah Mammoth defenseman Olli Maqtta did his at 21.
In Finland, you are required to complete service at least six months of service within the ages of 18-28. Rantanen, 28, has yet to have gotten started.
Sport stardom is usually not enough for an exemption, with Seattle Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko receiving an exemption due to diabetes and fellow Dallas Star and countryman Roope Hintz foregoing his service last season due to injury.
As for Mikko, who was due for millitary service April 15th, 2024, he wasn't granted an exemption—instead a postponement. Albeit, this post-ponement request came in one day late April 16th. The prosecution's office is arguing that because the request was put in place the day his service was meant to start on the 15th, he was absent from one day of millitary service despite the postponement.
The prosecutor is demanding a fine worth 10-15 days. As, the Finnish paper estimated that Rantanen made approximately 339,000 euros per month last season after taxes. The fines are deduced by dividing the individual's monthly net income, above, by 60 resulting in a 56,500 euro fine for 10 days or upwards of 84,750 euro fine for 15 on top of a 40 euro fine for 'the costs of providing evidence and victim surcharge'.
Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come for the forward's 2025-26 campaign.
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