Finland will be without its top point-scorer as it guns for an Olympic medal.
Forward Mikko Rantanen will be out for Finland’s bronze-medal game against Slovakia (Sportsnet, 2:40 p.m. ET / 11:40 a.m. PT), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday ahead of puck drop.
According to Friedman, reports from Finnish media have suggested that Rantanen is dealing with a lower-body injury.
He was hurt in the third period of Friday’s game against Canada and will be re-evaluated when he returns to Dallas to judge the severity and timeline for the injury. Friedman added that there is no concern that the injury is season-ending.
Montreal Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen will draw in for Rantanen.
Rantanen played 16:09 and scored Finland’s first goal of the semifinal game against Canada.
He leads all Finns in scoring, with two goals and four assists, and is carrying a plus-1 rating in five games.
The 29-year-old has excelled in his first full season with the Dallas Stars this year, registering 20 goals and 49 assists in 54 games.
Kapanen, meanwhile, did not play in the 3-2 semifinal loss to Canada. He has dressed for two games in these Olympics but has yet to take the ice.
The 22-year-old is enjoying a breakout sophomore season with the Canadiens, tallying 18 goals and 13 assists in 57 games.