Panthers’ Barkov wins two major awards — and was told with surprise announcement
It should come as no surprise that Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov repeated as the Selke Trophy winner, given annually to the league’s top defensive forward, or that he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given annually to an NHL player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.”
What was a surprise was the way Barkov was informed of the news.
Barkov was informed of the honors during a team meeting at the Panthers’ Baptist Health IcePlex practice facility. Giving the news during a surprise presentation: several girls and boys from Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, which Barkov frequently visits.
“Thank you guys,” Barkov said to the kids after being given the King Clancy Trophy. “I know I don’t have much time to come see you guys at the hospital, so I really appreciate you guys coming here. I love giving back to you.”
For Barkov, this is his second consecutive year winning the Selke Trophy, the third time winning it overall and the fourth time in five years he was a finalist.
Barkov appeared on 173 of the 191 ballots and was the top choice on 96 of those ballots. Teammate Sam Reinhart, a Selke finalist for the first time, finished second in voting and received 29 first-place votes. They are the first teammates ever to finish one-two in Selke Trophy voting.
Barkov helped the Panthers rank among the NHL’s top 10 clubs in goals-against per game (seventh, 2.72), penalty-killing percentage (tenth, 80.7%) and shots-against per game (fifth, 26.2). Florida accounted for 59.3 percent of all shot attempts 5-on-5 when Barkov was on the ice. The puck was in the offensive zone 46.7 percent of the time Barkov was on the ice at even strength according to NHL EDGE tracking data, ranking in the 98th percentile among NHL skaters, and in the defensive zone for just 35.5 percent of the time (97th percentile).
Barkov is also the first Panthers player to ever win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his off-ice efforts to help the South Florida community — most notably his work with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
Since 2019, Barkov has been donating $1,600 for every goal scored and $800 for every assist during the regular season and playoffs as part of his #BarkovScores4JoeD initiative. Barkov has donated more than $420,000 to the hospital, with his contributions helping fund their state-of-the-art playroom, as well as an expansion of their facility, allowing them to treat more complex and critical conditions.
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 11:26 AM.
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