The Finnish Sports Journalists’ Association has voted Aleksander Barkov as Finland’s best hockey player in 2024. The 29-year-old center captained the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup in the spring and recorded 79 points in the calendar year.
It is the second win for Barkov, who previously won in 2021. Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche won in both 2022 and 2023.
The award has been given out since 1948. The most frequent winner is Teemu Selänne with 10, followed by Jari Kurri with nine.
By being voted best hockey player, Barkov joins the winners of 83 other sports – from popular sports like football and tennis to the more obscure frisbee golf and petanque – at a gala awards banquet this Thursday, Jan. 16. There, the top Finnish athlete of the year will be announced, and it seems that Barkov has a decent chance to win, which is notable since it apparently rarely goes to a member of a team sport.
Interestingly, Barkov finished seventh overall in 2021 and Rantanen also finished seventh in both 2022 and 2023. The last three overall winners were swimmer Matti Mattsson, cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen, and basketball player Lauri Markkanen.
Below is a list of all Finnish hockey players of the year, going all the way back to the beginning:
2024 Aleksander Barkov (F)
2023 Mikko Rantanen (G)
2022 Mikko Rantanen (G)
2021 Aleksander Barkov (F)
2020 Miro Heiskanen (D)
2019 Marko Anttila (F)
2018 Pekka Rinne (G)
2017 Pekka Rinne (G)
2016 Patrik Laine (F)
2015 Teuvo Teräväinen (F)
2014 Teemu Selänne (F)
2013 Tuukka Rask (G)
2012 Teemu Selänne (F)
2011 Mikael Granlund (F)
2010 Antti Niemi (G)
2009 Niko Kapanen (F)
2008 Valtteri Filppula (F)
2007 Teemu Selänne (F)
2006 Teemu Selänne (F)
2005 Niklas Bäckström (G)
2004 Miikka Kiprusoff (G)
2003 Jere Lehtinen (F)
2002 Sami Kapanen (F)
2001 Sami Kapanen (F)
2000 Teemu Selänne (F)
1999 Teemu Selänne (F)
1998 Teemu Selänne (F)
1997 Teemu Selänne (F)
1996 Teemu Selänne (F)
1995 Saku Koivu (F)
1994 Saku Koivu (F)
1993 Teemu Selänne (F)
1992 Markus Ketterer (G)
1991 Esa Tikkanen (F)
1990 Jari Kurri (F)
1989 Jari Kurri (F)
1988 Jari Kurri (F)
1987 Jari Kurri (F)
1986 Jari Kurri (F)
1985 Jari Kurri (F)
1984 Jari Kurri (F)
1983 Jari Kurri (F)
1982 Jari Kurri (F)
1981 Timo Nummelin (D)
1980 Jukka Porvari (F)
1979 Pekka Rautakallio (D)
1978 Veli-Pekka Ketola (F)
1977 Pertti Koivulahti (F)
1976 Seppo Repo (F)
1975 Pekka Marjamäki (D)
1974 Veli-Pekka Ketola (F)
1973 Antti Leppänen (G)
1972 Jorma Valtonen (G)
1971 Ilpo Koskela (D)
1970 Urpo Ylönen (G)
1969 Seppo Lindström (D)
1968 Urpo Ylönen (G)
1967 Urpo Ylönen (G)
1966 Lasse Oksanen (F)
1965 Jarmo Wasama (D)
1964 Juhani Lahtinen (G)
1963 Raimo Kilpiö (F)
1962 Juhani Lahtinen (G)
1961 Raimo Kilpiö (F)
1960 Heino Pulli (F)
1959 Esko Niemi (G)
1958 Yrjö Hakala (F)
1957 Teppo Rastio (F)
1956 Unto Wiitala (G)
1955 Yrjö Hakala (F)
1954 Unto Wiitala (G)
1953 Ossi Kauppi (D)
1952 Aarne Honkavaara (F)
1951 Keijo Kuusela (F)
1950 Aarne Honkavaara (F)
1949 Unto Wiitala (G)
1948 Matti Rintakoski (F)