On Monday, June 24, 2024, when the buzzer went off, history was made. The Florida Panthers had won their first championship in the franchise’s 30-year history.
As team captain Aleksander Barkov brandished the Stanley Cup trophy and spun around the ice with his teammates, he wasn’t just celebrating a historic win. He was marking a personal milestone — becoming the first Finnish captain to win the Cup and fulfilling a lifelong dream. With his mom and 3-year-old son Sasha watching, Barkov was honoring all the years of hard work that had brought him to that moment.
Photo By Eduardo Schneider
Finding His Passion In Finland
Born and raised in Finland, Barkov, 29, has played hockey since he was a child.
“It’s already a sign that you should start playing hockey because it’s everywhere. Everyone loves the game, and everyone’s watching the national team play. For me, it was an easy decision because I saw it everywhere,” says Barkov.
His father was also a professional hockey player.
“I would go to his games and go to his practices. Then I wanted to do the same thing my dad did. That’s how it started,” Barkov says.
Although he began playing hockey quite young for Finland’s top junior league, Barkov says the reason he played was simple — he enjoyed it.
“It’s always been my passion. I never thought of it as a profession or a job. I just had a lot of fun with it. I played with my friends,” he recalls. “I never thought that it could be my job … It was my lifestyle. I kept going until I made it to the professional league team and came here.”
Barkov has always played center, the same position his father played.
“He just told me what to do, and I tried to do that on the ice,” he says.
In 2013, Barkov’s tenacity paid off when he was drafted by the Florida Panthers.
The Florida Panthers with the coveted Stanley Cup
Photo By Eliot J. Schechter/Florida Panthers
An Example On And Off The Ice
A couple of days before the draft, Barkov was in New York City. That year, the NHL draft took place in New Jersey, and he had been talking with several teams, including Florida.
“It was definitely different from anything I had experienced before that moment. Obviously, coming to North America was already a big step for me. Draft Day was amazing. When you hear your name called, everything stops,” he says.
After being drafted by the Panthers, Barkov forged ahead, improving his skills and leadership abilities. It paid off in 2018 when he was named the team’s 10th captain.
He knew what the role required: help the team, do what’s right and lead by example.
“I’ve had great captains here, so it was a big honor for me to follow what they started and try to bring my own thing to the organization. I’m not the most vocal guy in the room — we have enough of those. To me, it’s about trying to be a good example for everyone,” says Barkov.
He realizes how much he’s evolved over the years.
“You learn a lot of new things every year. Every day, you try to learn something new. When new people come into the team and the organization, you learn from them. You take the good things from them, and try to bring that to your life.”
Others on the team see Barkov’s strengths as well.
“He’s an elite-level talented player. That leadership and his preparation are extreme, and he’s also completely dialed in as a captain and as an example on and off the ice,” says Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. “The selflessness in his personality, the way he treats everyone — it’s natural. It’s who he is. He’s a brilliant example not just for young players, but for all players who come in [and want to understand] how things are done. He makes my life pretty easy.”
On May 17, 2024, after the Panthers beat the Boston Bruins, Barkov’s teammate Matthew Tkachuk said, “I don’t really even have the words for what he’s doing for our team … He’s the best player in the world right now!”
But Tkachuk praised Barkov even before they were playing for the Stanley Cup. In 2022 on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, he said, “I know [Connor] McDavid’s on another level. I know [Cale] Makar’s the same way. But I throw Barky right in with those guys — he has the most special talent I’ve ever seen!”
In the podcast “Miami Mic’d Up with Jeremy Taché,” Tkachuk added, “I don’t know where to start. He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen … Incredible player, very smart.”
Barkov also believes that becoming a father had an impact on how he has matured as a leader.
“You learn something new every single day. Now, you’re not just responsible for yourself, you’re responsible for the little guy. It’s pretty much the best thing in the world,” he says.
Aleksander Barkov with the Florida Panthers' 2024 championship ring and (left to right) the Prince of Wales Trophy, Frank J. Selke Trophy and Stanley Cup
Photo BY Eliot J. Schechter / Florida Panthers
Living La Vida Boca
Barkov was in his late teens when he arrived in Boca Raton, but he didn’t experience culture shock moving from a land of snow and ice to one of palm trees and hot, sunny days.
“When I was young, it was all hockey. I didn’t really think about where I was. I was just here to play hockey,” he says. “I’ve really learned to appreciate where I am — going to the beach every single morning and seeing palm trees. And meeting very kind people you’ve never seen before and they all say hi and ask how you’re doing, which never happens in Finland.”
Now, when he returns from playing on the road, Barkov cherishes being home.
“When you step out of a plane at 2 a.m., and it’s not 20 degrees, and you see the Seminole Hard Rock [Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood] with the lights and the palm trees and it’s 75 degrees — it’s a little different. I appreciate that a lot.”
But there’s something else that makes Boca Raton truly feel like home.
“One thing that I love the most about South Florida are the sunrises. I love the sunrises on the beach, especially when there are no clouds,” he says. “That puts me in a good place.”
Aleksander Barkov and several of his teammates brought joy to the patients at the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
Photo Courtesy Of The Florida Panthers
The Big Win And Beyond
Although Barkov was elated when the Panthers clinched the Stanley Cup, he admits that thinking back on Game 7 still makes his heart race — a reminder of just how close it was. After taking a 3-0 lead, the Panthers saw the Edmonton Oilers claw their way back, forcing a Game 7 that came down to the wire.
“I can’t even watch the highlights because my heart rate goes up. But at that time, I remember myself and our team not being nervous at all, which is crazy. We were calm. Three games leading up to that, we were nervous. We wanted it so badly that we couldn’t do the things we needed to do to win. But I think in Game 7, we just calmed down for it,” Barkov says.
Regarding winning the Cup, he says, “It was an amazing experience for sure! I was lucky my family was there. So, I got to celebrate with them right after the game.”
Barkov returned to Finland for a visit last summer, and he says his country was thrilled.
“Everyone was just walking by and congratulating me and saying how they watched the whole playoffs and cheered for us,” he says. “That was awesome!”
Now that he’s reached the pinnacle of professional hockey, what motivates Barkov is the hunger to become even better.
“I know I can be better in some things, and I’m working on those. But overall, being on this team and this organization and chasing greatness — we want to win again. We want to have as much success as possible,” Barkov says. “Everyone wants to be better than yesterday.”