This decision just made too much sense.
After becoming the first Finnish-born player to captain a Stanley Cup champion, Aleksander Barkov was named captain of Team Finland for the upcoming 2025 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday.
“It’s a huge honor,” Barkov said on a Zoom teleconference shortly after the news broke. “I never really dreamed about that thing, but it’s a huge honor. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be the captain of the national team. I can’t wait to get going in the tournament”
On the international stage, Barkov most-recently represented Finland at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the 2016 IIHF World Championships and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will mark his first time ever donning the “C” for his home country.
“It’s been a while for me since I got a chance to play for Team Finland and represent my country,” Barkov said with a smile. “I’m very excited for the opportunity coming up in the next month. It means a lot to be a captain. It’s a huge honor for me. Growing up in Finland and watching every single tournament that Finland was part of, and now to be a part of it and to be a captain to try and lead the team to victories, is a great opportunity for me.”
Barkov, who was just 18 at the time, said the 2014 Olympics in Sochi left a big mark on him.
“I will remember it forever,” said Barkov, who suffered an injury in the preliminary round of the tournament. “It’s Olympics. Every single athlete wants to be a part of it. Whether it’s Winter or Summer, you want to be part of it. You watch it on TV, and then you get a chance to represent your country there. It’s an amazing opportunity. I was unfortunately there for only a couple games, but I remember every single moment there.”
Originally selected by the Florida Panthers with the second-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Barkov, who’s in the midst of his 12th NHL campaign, already ranks fourth in points (753), sixth in assists (475) and fifth in goals (278) among Finnish-born players in league history.
On Jan. 16, he became the first hockey player to win “Athlete of the Year” in Finland.
Looking at his next challenge, Barkov believes his seven seasons of experience as captain of the Panthers should help him lead Team Finland to victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“I just want to be myself,” Barkov said. “I don’t want to be anything else.”
In addition to Barkov being named Finland’s captain, Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen of the Carolina Hurricanes and Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks were named assistants.
“It’s a great group,” Barkov said. “Those guys are leaders on their own teams in the NHL. Obviously, Granlund has been captain of Team Finland and the national teams before and led them to World Championships. Those guys are natural leaders.”
The 4 Nations Face-Off, which features teams made up of players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States, will get underway on Feb. 12 at Bell Centre in Montreal.
The top two teams will play in the championship game on Feb. 20 at TD Garden in Boston.
With Barkov at the helm, Finland is dreaming of gold.
“We’re ready to challenge,” Barkov said of the 4 Nations Face-Off. “We’re ready to win.”