Following Finland's disappointing 1-4 loss to Slovakia in their Olympic opener, discussions centered around the limited playing time of star player Mikko Rantanen. Initially, reports from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) indicated that Rantanen played only 15 minutes and 25 seconds during the match, ranking him eighth among Finnish forwards. This information sparked debate among fans and analysts, especially given Rantanen's prominence as a player.

However, a report by Jatkoaika contests the IIHF’s statistics, citing data from the Sportlogiq analytics platform, which claims Rantanen actually logged 17 minutes and 14 seconds of ice time, making him the second most utilized forward on the team. Furthermore, Finland's own statistical service used during the tournament, Hudl, reported a slightly lower figure of 17 minutes and 8 seconds. The variations in reported ice time can likely be attributed to differences in measurement methods between the organizations involved.

Rantanen, who is accustomed to playing over 20 minutes in NHL games, was questioned after the Slovakia game about his expected playing time in this tournament. The discrepancy highlights the challenges in accurately tracking player statistics at international events, raising questions about how such data is communicated to the public and the implications for players' reputations during high-stakes competitions.