Barkov becomes the first hockey player to win the prestigious Finnish award

It’s been quite a run for Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov.

He won the Selke Trophy and became the first Finnish captain to hoist the Stanley Cup back in June, while also playing a pair of NHL games in his hometown of Tampere, Finland a couple months ago.

Now he’s receiving an incredible honor from his homeland.

On Thursday, Barkov became the first hockey player to be named Finland’s Sportsman of the Year.

The award is voted on annually by the Finnish Sports Journalists’ Association and has been given out since 1947.

Barkov, who is in the middle of the NHL season with the Panthers, joined by remote connection alongside his Finnish Florida teammates, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola, as well as Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, according to Finnish media outlet MTV.

“A really big honor,” Barkov said in the video, per NHL.com/fi. “Great athletes have been selected in the past. I am really honored, and I did not expect such a morning opening. A big thank you. It would not have happened without my teammates and the support I have received.”

Receiving the award for Barkov was one of his childhood hockey coaches, Timo Makinen.

Per MTV, the best previous finish by a hockey player was Jari Kurri in 1990, who came in second place in voting.

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