FORT LAUDERDALE — Aaron Ekblad has been Aleksander Barkov’s teammate longer than anybody on the Florida Panthers. Ekblad joined the staff in 2014, a yr after Barkov, whereas the franchise was within the midst of a 24-year stretch the place it didn’t win a playoff sequence.
Getting out of the primary spherical would have been a pleasant accomplishment. Successful a Stanley Cup? A pipe dream. However Ekblad knew the staff had an ace within the gap.
“We’ve all the time had Sasha Barkov,” Ekblad mentioned. “So there’s all the time hope.”
The hope was justified. Now a veteran staff captain, Barkov has led his staff to 3 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. He lifted the Cup final yr and should get to do it once more within the coming weeks because the Panthers look to repeat as champions in a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers.
“I feel that’s a dream for everybody,” Barkov mentioned, “and it’s an enormous accomplishment, clearly, to be within the Finals three years in a row. It’s not a simple factor to do, for certain, however we’re right here, and we don’t actually take into consideration that. We simply take into consideration the subsequent sport. We need to play actually good Recreation 1 in Edmonton, and we’ll be prepared for that.”
By means of these tons of of regular-season and playoff video games, Barkov has maintained his model of regular, quiet management. He by no means tried to be something moreover himself.
“I’m not going to be anybody else,” Barkov mentioned. “I’m not going to be the loudest man on a regular basis within the room. I’m not doing that … however I reside by my very own instance — on the ice, off ice. I attempt to be an instance. In order that’s simply being myself.”
Barkov was named staff captain in 2018. He’s the tenth captain in franchise historical past and has held the title for the previous seven seasons. He credited prior staff captains with the Panthers and along with his Finnish staff, Tappara, for serving to him learn to lead a locker room.
“What I discovered from them is that they have been simply being themselves,” Barkov mentioned.
Barkov’s been the continual determine serving to lead the Panthers. He has performed beneath seven totally different head coaches — 4 because the staff captain. But it surely’s the partnership with present coach Paul Maurice that has paid probably the most dividends: the franchise’s second-ever journey to the Remaining in 2023, a Stanley Cup title final yr and a return to the championship spherical this season.
Maurice, who has coached extra NHL video games than all however one man in league historical past, offers the credit score for these runs to the gamers. He praises the staff’s leaders effusively for creating an environment the place everybody from superstars like Matthew Tkachuk to fourth-liners can flourish.
“Now I’m three years in, and I’m beginning to perceive it slightly bit,” Maurice mentioned. “I don’t really feel answerable for it. I don’t. It’s been enjoyable to look at. … These guys are totally different.”
Maurice mentioned Barkov units that tone for the staff.
“I feel that’s all Barkov,” Maurice mentioned in the course of the Carolina sequence. “Really, if you happen to didn’t know the face and also you walked into that locker room or walked on the airplane or watched him, you couldn’t inform who the star was in that room.”
“He’s simply sort to all people,” Maurice mentioned Saturday.
Barkov has created a welcoming surroundings within the Panthers’ locker room, serving to new gamers like Nate Schmidt and former Florida archenemy Brad Marchand shortly mesh with the staff tradition.
“He leads from the entrance. I feel that’s the largest factor I see about him is he’s a real skilled,” Marchand mentioned.
“The way in which he conducts himself on and off the ice, the best way he is available in and works day-after-day — and it begins off the ice. He’s all the time doing one thing to get higher, to arrange, and similar on the ice. All the time engaged on one thing to get higher. And he’s a quiet chief, a type of guys, when he does communicate up, you hear and it holds numerous weight as a result of he doesn’t communicate up usually. However he simply leads in the best way that he prepares and the best way that he brings it each evening.”
Schmidt mentioned the second new gamers arrive on the staff, they discover the best way Barkov units the tone.
“I really like the best way he leads, too,” Schmidt mentioned. “You sort of simply see whenever you first get right here, there’s a approach that issues are executed. It doesn’t need to be … the previous thought, like, ‘Oh, you gotta be vocal. You’ve received to be loud.’
“Now we have someone that does it and also you look over day-after-day, like, ‘Okay, that’s it. Okay, that’s it. I’m not allowed to deviate from that kind of, that kind of preparation.’ … I’m a giant fan.”
Discussing Barkov’s management function mustn’t take away from his on-ice means. The 29-year-old heart is the franchise chief in video games performed (802), targets (286) and assists (496). He’s second in staff historical past in playoff targets (25) and first in playoff assists (51) and factors (76). Barkov has executed all that whereas additionally taking part in impeccable protection, successful a pair of Selke Trophies in 2021 and 2024; he’s a finalist for the award, together with teammate Sam Reinhart, this season.
“He’s gotten bodily stronger,” Ekblad mentioned. “He’s gotten stronger on his skates, year-over-year, persevering with. He’s gotten higher along with his stick, year-over-year, yearly. He’s already top-of-the-line on the planet by way of energy on a stick. He’s (prime three) on the planet at that and he continues to get higher. And I feel that’s one thing that the tradition has been constructed amongst all of us, beginning with him, to get higher yearly.”
Barkov confirmed off his talent within the clinching sport towards the Hurricanes, keeping off defenseman Dmitry Orlov towards the boards earlier than feeding Carter Verhaeghe an ideal, backhanded move to arrange what would show to be the conference-winning purpose.
“What’s the good definition of our sport? It’s grace beneath violence,” Maurice mentioned. “That’s a talent. The talent of that man, that highly effective. Guys are searching them. They’re … coming to hit. They’re coming to separate individuals from the puck. And then you definitely see this unbelievable finesse play in an surroundings the place all people’s making an attempt to run all people. That’s what’s superior about that.”
Barkov is THAT GUY pic.twitter.com/b5AdoPrmkt
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) Might 29, 2025
Barkov just isn’t the celebrity who all the time fills up the stat sheet. He has not led the Panthers in targets since 2021-22. In every of the previous three seasons, Barkov was fourth on the staff in targets. However, Schmidt mentioned, it’s the day-in, day-out work Barkov places in that makes him one of many league’s greatest.
“You don’t actually notice what he’s till you get to take a seat in the identical room with him and get to play on the identical staff as him,” Schmidt mentioned. “I performed towards him rather a lot. I revered his sport a ton. I didn’t respect his sport sufficient, I feel.
“What he may do offensively and defensively has been one thing that’s been celebrated on this league for some time, however it actually is, I feel, been placed on a pedestal right here the final couple years, which is the place it needs to be. This man, he’s performed right here for a very long time, and I feel now the hockey world is simply beginning to get a glance into him this final couple of years, which is properly deserved. He’s a heck of a participant.”