A FANTASTIC FINNISH

When Aleksander Barkov hoisted the Stanley Cup, he became the first Finnish captain in NHL history to win the championship. Fellow countrymen Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola were also on the Cats roster, along with assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu. “Everybody who grows up playing hockey in Finland, they look up to guys here, and Sasha’s one guy we all want to be one day,” said Lundell, who earned the nickname “Baby Barkov”. “You grow up watching his highlights. You go to practice, you want to do (drills) the same way he does them. We all have idols, but I have to say, I think he’s the biggest idol in Finland.” Barkov had captained the Panthers since 2018 and was the longest-tenured player in franchise history.