Finally a Stanley Cup champion, Aleksander Barkov adds to his growing Panthers legacy

Aleksander Barkov is many things. The longest tenured player in Florida Panthers history. The franchise’s unassuming captain. An elite two-way player. A role model to hockey players in his native Finland. A lead-by-example fixture in the dressing room with a knack for dry sarcasm.

And now, after 11 seasons of ups and downs with the only franchise he hopes to play for in his NHL career, Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov is a Stanley Cup champion.

The scene after Florida’s 2-1, series-clinching Game 7 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday became euphoric as Barkov received the Stanley Cup from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and made his lap around the Amerant Bank Arena ice.

“Many, many times throughout my career, I was kind of hoping, dreaming — everything — for this moment,” Barkov, trying to hold back tears, said afterward. “Here we are.”

It was a long time coming for Barkov, the player the Panthers have spent more than a decade building around. He’ll deflect credit, as he always does. He’ll put the blame on himself when the team struggles but point to his teammates when praise is showered upon him.

But make no mistake about it: While Barkov’s legacy with the Panthers was already cemented, leading the Panthers to their first-ever Stanley Cup all but seals his title as the franchise’s best player.

“Yes. Who else?” Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling said. “I mean, he’s the [expletive] franchise leader of everything.”

Yes, that he is.

For the quick rundown, Barkov owns the Panthers’ career records for ...

▪ Games played, both in the regular season (737) and playoffs (71)

▪ Points, both regular season (711) and playoffs (59)

▪ Assists, both regular season (445) and playoffs (40)

▪ Regular-season goals (266), power play goals (75), short-handed goals (12) and game-winning goals (48).

‘He’s a legend’: Aleksander Barkov’s legacy still growing as he nears another Panthers record

But to Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who has been with Barkov for two seasons, the star center’s biggest value more often than not comes away from the scoresheet.

“His gift is he defines everyone else’s game,” Maurice said. “‘This is what I’m willing to do. This is how I’m going to play the game.’ ... His consistency with that game and the number of nights that he’s not on the scoresheet necessarily but everybody on the bench is going, ‘Oh my God, that guy’s a player,’ that’s his gift to us.”

It’s part of why he won his second Selke Trophy, given to the league’s best defensive forward, this season and was the driving force of the Panthers’ success during this year’s playoff run.

And in addition to his 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) and four game-winning goals, the Panthers gave up just 10 goals in the more than 340 minutes when Barkov was on the ice at 5-on-5 — and that came with him facing the opponent’s top players.

Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos of the Lightning in Round 1.

David Pastrnak of the Bruins in Round 2.

Chris Kreider, Nika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin of the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

And Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Co. in the Stanley Cup Final.

“He’s our leader,” Panthers center Sam Bennett said. “He’s our captain and he plays the game the right way. It’s pretty special to see a guy so committed. As gifted as he is offensively, he’s so committed to playing defense and shutting guys down, blocking shots. When you have your All-Star captain playing that way, it carries on to every single guy in the locker room. So, yeah, he means a lot to this team, to say the least.”

And his value extends beyond the team.

What he’s doing for the Panthers — and in the NHL as a whole — is felt in his native Finland. Barkov became the first Finnish captain to win a Stanley Cup.

That’s not lost on his country — or his Finnish teammates.

“I mean, 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,” Panthers center Anton Lundell said. “You grow up watching his highlights. You go to practice and you know want to do them the same way he does them. We all have idols, but I have to say, I think he’s the biggest idol in Finland.”

He’s also the biggest idol on his team, with star Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk probably summing it up the best.

“Best teammate I’ve ever had. Best player. Best leader,” Tkachuk said. “So thankful that I’m able to ride shotgun with him. He’s the real deal and I’m so happy for him. He’s been here for a long time, for the ups and downs. He deserves this as much as anybody.”

In the moment, it was hard for Barkov to process his exact emotions.

But as he stood on the ice, after the win, after the lap with the Cup, Barkov gave him self a moment to let things sink in.

He is a Stanley Cup champion.

“The Cup, it’s our dream,” Barkov said, “and now it’s reality.”