Panthers proud to have 8 players picked for 4 Nations Face-Off

PHILADELPHIA -- The Florida Panthers will have an NHL-high eight players taking part in the 4 Nations Face-Off, a high compliment for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

"It means that we're doing something right, and obviously everyone, every single person, has worked hard for that and deserves the nomination on the team," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who will play for Team Finland, said Thursday, one day after the 23-player rosters for Finland, Sweden, Canada and the United States were revealed.

The best-on-best tournament will be held Feb. 12-20 at Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Place in Boston.

Barkov is one of four Panthers who will be playing for Team Finland, along with defenseman Niko Mikkola and fellow forwards Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.

"It's an honor to represent Finland at 4 Nations," Luostarinen said. "And a lot of guys going from this team too. ... It's a little bit easier, I guess, to go there [with guys] that you know a little bit better. I guess we're just going to bring hard work, work ethic to the locker room."

Barkov, who was one of six players named to Team Finland in June, said he wasn't surprised to see three of his Panthers teammates join him on the roster.

"I think management knows what they're doing," he said. "They don't need my opinion on those guys. They've obviously done a really good job the last few years here. So I think it was an obvious choice to get those guys to come."

Barkov, who became the first Finland-born captain to lift the Stanley Cup when the Panthers won it last season, could be the captain for Team Finland for the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, he isn't ready to look that far down the road.

"It's hard to talk about something that, what would it mean if (he were captain)," he said. "Just live in the moment right now. Obviously it's a huge honor. I've been on Team Finland before and all the captains there -- Mikko Koivu, Jussi Jokinen was my captain at my first (IIHF) World (Hockey) Championship (in 2015), the (2014 Sochi) Olympics, Teemu Selanne. All those guys, obviously, it's a great achievement, but I don't think about that that much right now. I only do my job here, and then we'll think what comes next."

What also will come next for Barkov is having to play against his Panthers teammates. Linemate Sam Reinhart will play for Team Canada, along with forward Sam Bennett; forward Matthew Tkachuk will play for Team USA; and defenseman Gustav Forsling will play for Team Sweden.

"Obviously we do that in practice, but it'll be a little different when you actually have to play against them," Barkov said.

Bennett said there already has been some good-natured chirping going on about a tournament that's more than two months away.

"We've already been joking around a little bit," he said. "It's definitely going to be a unique experience playing against your teammates midseason. But that'll be cool. Every game we'll be playing against some of our teammates. So definitely a unique experience, but looking forward to it."

In addition to the players, Panthers general manager Bill Zito will be an assistant GM for Team USA and be joined by equipment manager Teddy Richards, who will be in his same position; Florida assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu will have the same role with the Team Finland coaching staff; and Team Sweden will have Florida assistant general manager Patric Hornqvist and video coach Myles Fee.

"So 13 of our group are going," coach Paul Maurice said. "It is a source of pride. ... When we look at the guys like Mikkola and Luostarinen and Bennett, these guys worked themselves into being the candidates for their country. Barkov has been a perennial but we've got a bit of everything. Some first-timers going to represent the country. Such a huge deal, it really is.

"This is really an opportunity for these guys to experience, some of them they've never had before, an opportunity to truly represent your country."