'It Took Me About 10 Minutes': Jared Bednar Doesn't Mince His Words When Asked About Mikko Rantanen

Last season was a wild one for Mikko Rantanen with the Colorado Avalanche, as the team traded their star winger to the Carolina Hurricanes after not being able to come to terms on a long-term extension.

Then, the 'Canes turned around and dealt him back to the Western Conference, as he landed with the division rival Dallas Stars, only to go nuclear on the Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, putting in an all-time Game 7 to eliminate them from the post-season.

Now, ahead of their first matchup of the 2025/26 campaign, Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar was asked how long it took to get over the loss of his long-term top line winger, giving a surprisingly brutal answer.

This certainly isn't a shot at Mikko, as he states that it was simply his duty to move on quickly and look to the future after acquiring Martin Necas in the deal, but given how things went at the end of last year, it appears as though this rivalry is heating up in a big way.

With both having Stanley Cup aspirations in 2025/26, this rivalry is just getting started again, and after Bednar's comments, it's safe to say that his former star winger may take this to heart and look to motivate himself into another big performance this season.