Florida Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov is becoming the face of hockey in his native Finland. Winning back-to-back Stanley Cups and Selke Trophies certainly helps his cause, as does becoming the first Finnish-born captain to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in the history of the NHL. On Saturday, Barkov utilized his special day with the Stanley Cup to share it fans, friends and family in his hometown of Tampere, Finland. “I think pretty much the first thing you think about when people say ‘Finland’ is ice hockey,” Barkov said. “Everyone loves hockey here, everyone is watching hockey and follows hockey. It’s great, it’s like a lifestyle here, just like Canada.” To no surprise considering his love for tennis and paddleball, Barkov brought the Cup to PadelOne Arena for some time with fans. “I’ve been here a couple times, watching paddle tournaments,” Barkov said. “It’s one of my favorite sports that I play.” He said that compared to last year, this summer’s Stanley Cup day felt a bit more laid back, which was by design. “Last year was kind of hectic, so this year I’m trying to do it in a more relaxed way,” he said. He also made sure to leave time for a trip to the sauna, and some home cooking from his momma. You can check out footage of Barkov's day with the Stanley Cup in the video below: It’s been several days now that the Stanley Cup has been in Finland. First, it was with Cats defenseman Niko Mikkola [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/BVDMIlzgZBUNnvIrTwUG], in and around his hometown of Kiiminki. Mikkola’s day included visits to a children’s hospital, a couple of his former schools and his former youth rink Jäälihalli. The following day, Florida Assistant Coach Tuomo Ruutu got to do something pretty cool with the Cup in Helsinki. Photos posted on X by Phil Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Keeper of the Cup, showed Ruutu posing with the cup on the field of Olympic Stadium. He even kicked a soccer ball around the pitch at the home of Finland’s national team. TEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk still mulling surgery, could miss several months [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-star-matthew-tkachuk-still-mulling-surgery-could-miss-several-months] Panthers players Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe make appearance on Good Morning America [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/ES6KIfta6FQfW6ugJEoA/comment/mbxr7zSbRChOq88vXiHK] Stanley Cup returns to Finland for hometown visit with Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/BVDMIlzgZBUNnvIrTwUG/comment/NBphL09wsP4Iu793N0ZV] Report: Evan Rodrigues won't be traded, considered a 'really important player' by Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/report-evan-rodrigues-won-t-be-traded-considered-a-really-important-player-by-panthers] Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Joined By Brother And Father On Deluxe Edition Of EA Sports NHL 26 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-matthew-tkachuk-joined-by-brother-and-father-on-deluxe-edition-of-ea-sports-nhl-26] Photo caption: Florida Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov shares the Stanley Cup with fans at PadelOne Arena in Nokia, Finland. (Source: Florida Panthers)
