Analyst highlights Mikko Rantanen's playoff dominance with bizarre Derek Jeter comparison

Former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter had a storied MLB career spanning almost two decades. Jeter's legacy has often transcended beyond baseball, and analyst Tyler Feldman's comparison of the Yankees great with NHL star Mikko Rantanen was further proof of that.

In conversation with Cam Stuart on the latest episode of Locked on NHL podcast, Feldman compared Mikko Rantanen's performance in the playoff with Jeter.

However, the analyst didn't compare the five-time World Series winner's skills on the diamond; instead, he delved into Jeter's romantic relationships during his career.

"My star of the night is the Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen," Feldman said. "The way in which Rantanen is scoring on the ice in these playoffs is similar to how Derek Jeter was scoring off the field during his prime in New York City."

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Feldman mentioned the high-profile names Jeter reportedly dated before he married Hannah:

"I'm talking about Mariah Carey, Jessica Beil, Minka Kelly, Adriana Lima and a bunch of other beautiful women. Derek Jeter, the way he was scoring off the field in his prime in New York, generational scoring streak, is what we are seeing from Mikko Rantanen for the Dallas Stars."

The Stars forward scored a hat-trick against Colorado in Game 7 of the second-round series. He followed it with another against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday to become the third player in NHL history to score hat tricks in consecutive playoff games.

Derek Jeter addressed Michigan graduates in commencement speech

Earlier this month, Derek Jeter addressed the 2025 University of Michigan graduating class. Jeter, who enrolled at the University in 1992 but left to play for the Yankees in 1993, shared insights for the students.

He inspired nearly 70,000 people at Michigan Stadium by asking them to pursue their goals and make sacrifices for their dreams.

“You owe it to yourself to think long and hard about what you want to do with your life. To think about what you value most,” Jeter said. “It’s a choice. Your choice. There may be unwanted side effects with those dreams, too. Side effects like doubt, criticism, endless hours at work. But that’s the price you pay."

Derek Jeter is regarded as one of the greatest players in baseball history and was renowned for his work ethic and discipline on the diamond during his illustrious career.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash