Among the throngs of South Floridians swept up in the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup Championship run last season was a little cluster of fans who cheered on the team from their rooms at Joe

“It means the world to me, to be honest,” Barkov said. “It’s Athlete of the Year in Finland, the country where I was born, where I was raised and grew up watching national teams play and cheering for them. To get that honor, it’s huge for me. I’m really, really happy and really thankful to be able to get that award.”

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov became the first hockey player to ever win Finland's Sportsman of the Year in a vote by the Finnish Association of Sports Journalists. Barkov, the first Finnish captain to win the Stanley Cup, was named Hockey Player of the Year at the annual Sports Gala on Thursday night.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has made history as the first ice hockey player to be named Finland’s Athlete of the Year. The honour was announced at the Finnish Sports Gala in Helsinki on Thursday,

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings play the Florida Panthers in a non-conference matchup. Los Angeles has a 25-14-5 record overall and a 14-3-1 record in home games. The Kings have conceded 109 goals while scoring 129 for a +20 scoring differential.

Putting a cherry on top of an incredible year, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov took home “Athlete of the Year” honors at the Finnish Sports Gala in Helsinki on Thursday. Given out annually since 1947, Barkov is the first hockey player to ever win the prestigious award.

He won the Selke Trophy and became the first Finnish captain to hoist the Stanley Cup back in June, while also playing a pair of NHL games in his hometown of Tampere, Finland a couple months ago. Now he’s receiving an incredible honor from his homeland.

The final NHL game on Wednesday's schedule will pit the defending champion Panthers against the Kings out on the West Coast.

Aleksander Barkov has been selected as the 2024 Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first ice hockey player to do so. In June last year, Barkov made history as the first Finnish captain to win the Stanley Cup after his Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in a winner-take-all game seven.

Jonathan Marchessault and the Predators proved once again that no lead is safe in the NHL as Nashville notched six unanswered goals to overcome a 5-1 deficit at Bridgestone Arena. \* Lane Hutson, Adam

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If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. When it comes to hockey equipment, that’s the motto for some Florida Panthers. Whether it’s superstition, comfort or something else, sometimes you can’t just let go.