Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returned to action today for Team Finland at the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship, notching an assist in his return.
Aleksander Barkov is back in action.
The Florida Panthers captain played his first hockey game since suffering a torn MCL and ACL in pre-season, as he took the ice for the first game during the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
While Barkov did participate in pre-tournament games, this was Barkov’s first official game back.
In his return, the 30-year-old recorded one assist, three shots on goal, and won 72 percent of his faceoffs in 18:01 of ice time. Finland would go on to win 3-1 against the Germans, starting their quest for the top seed in Group A on the right foot.
In addition to Barkov’s assist, he had a slick play on Finland’s second goal. Barkov intentionally let the puck slide through his legs, which is referred to as a “dummy” in soccer. The puck found the stick of Jesse Puljuharvi, a former Charlotte Checkers forward, and he made no mistake.
Barkov wasn’t the only player making a return; Anton Lundell took the ice for Finland in his first game back after suffering an injury late in the 2025-26 season. The 24-year-old netted a goal and an assist in his return to action.
Finland will be back in action on Saturday when they take on Hungary at 10:20 a.m. EST.
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