‘It means the world to me’: Panthers’ Barkov named Finland’s Athlete of the Year
Aleksander Barkov was taken aback by the news. The Florida Panthers’ captain has had numerous milestones, accomplishments and honors over the course of his 12-season NHL career — most notably winning his first-ever Stanley Cup last season.
But the latest honor he received hit a new high.
Barkov on Thursday was named Finland’s Athlete of the Year at the Finnish Sports Gala in Helsinki.
He’s the first hockey player to be bestowed the honor since the award’s inception in 1947.
“It means the world to me, to be honest,” Barkov said. “It’s Athlete of the Year in Finland, the country where I was born, where I was raised and grew up watching national teams play and cheering for them. To get that honor, it’s huge for me. I’m really, really happy and really thankful to be able to get that award.”
Barkov has established himself as one of the NHL’s top players throughout his career. He holds the Panthers’ franchise records for games played (773), goals (277), assists (472) and points (749), among a slew of others. He has won the Selke Trophy, given to the league’s best two-way forward, twice, including last season.
And with Florida’s Stanley Cup win last season, Barkov became the first Finnish captain to win the Cup.
“It will never leave my my memory,” Barkov said. “It’s one of the best moments in my life, for sure, and I will forever be so very grateful to do it here in Florida and to be the first Finnish captain as well.”
But the fact that it took nearly 80 years of the award for a hockey player to win did catch Barkov by surprise, even though he called Finland “a huge, huge sports country.” Previous winners of the award include swimmers, skiers, soccer players, race car drivers, rowers, weightlifters and even an orienteerer (a competitive sport that blends navigational skills and racing).
“Honestly, Finland has had so many good hockey players,” Barkov said, “but I guess there’s been great athletes from other sports as well, but I’m very happy.”
It’s the second consecutive year a sport had its first winner of the Finland Athlete of the Year award. Lauri Markkanen, just the third Finnish player to make it to the NBA, last year became the first basketball player to win.
And now, Barkov is the first hockey player to get the honor.
“Twenty-four was a great year for for us and for me, for sure,” Barkov said. “That year will go as one of the best years in my life. And just just happy about all the all the accomplishments and honors and everything I’ve been getting from Finland and from here.”
Added Panthers coach Paul Maurice: “Wonderful recognition, not just as a player, but as a person — and maybe fitting that he kind of breaks through here. He’s appreciated by his teammates and appreciated around the league, but it takes the Stanley Cup on the first Finnish-born gentleman to raise the Stanley Cup to be noticed because he does not get in front of the camera first. There’s no self-promotion in this man’s game, so he kind of got forced into the greatness and the recognition of the greatness.”
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