Panthers Center Named Captain for Finland

The Florida Panthers center was named captain for Finland for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.
Jan 18, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) moves the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Jan 18, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) moves the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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As the 4 Nations Face-Off draws closer and closer, the countries involved are taking the next steps in their final preparations. Next on each team's list is to share their leadership group in advance of the tournament. Finland got everything going as they kicked off the announcements.

Representing Finland as the team captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off will be Florida Panthers forward and captain Aleksander "Sasha" Barkov. The Panthers captain was the overwhelming favorite to be given the honor, and now the decision has been made official according to NHL insider Chris Johnston. He shared the news via his X account.

The decision to name Barkov captain was likely an easy decision for Finland's management team. Barkov has a glut of leadership experience and has been wearing the "C" for Florida since 2018. As captain, he led the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and captured the lucrative trophy in 2024. This season, he's off to a point-per-game pace with 42 points in 42 games. Over his career, he's played in 779 NHL contests and accumulated 753 total points.

Barkov has also established himself as one of the premier two-way players in the entire NHL. He's a perennial Selke Trophy candidate as the best defensive forward in the league, and the Panthers consistently control scoring chances and shot attempts when he's on the ice. Combine his on-ice performance with his off-ice leadership capabilities, and Finland had a slam dunk choice for captain.

Now that Barkov has been given the captaincy, the rest of the leadership group will also need to be rounded out. Joining Barkov as the alternate captains are Carolina Hurricanes forwards Mikko Rantanen and Sebastien Aho and Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks. All three players are used to wearing an "A" on their sweaters, with each having experience being an alternate captain on their respective NHL teams.

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