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In Photos: Panthers' Sasha Barkov pulls off the most iconic celebration on his day with Stanley Cup
Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov celebrated his day with the Stanley Cup in Tampere, Finland. He is the first Finnish-born NHL captain to lift the trophy.
The day was filled with events, starting with a visit to an amusement park. Finnish skateboarder Marius Syvanen jumped over the 35.25-inch Stanley Cup, which is believed to be the first time anyone has done it.
The main event of the festivities was a grand ceremony at Nokia Arena with 15,000 enthusiastic fans. Sasha Barkov included junior players in the celebration, hoping to inspire them.
"I myself was once a junior player, and the Cup motivated me,” Barkov said (via NHL.com). “Every morning, the first thought in my mind was the Cup. I believe that many juniors here today think about the Cup. I want to show them that everything is possible."
The celebration at the arena featured video messages from NHL legends like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Chris Chelios.
Finnish hockey stars Markus Nutivaara, Tuomo Ruutu, Eetu Luostarinen, and Jussi Jokinen were also in attendance, along with Ville Nieminen, Anton Lundell, and Niko Mikkola.
The 28-year-old centre put his own spin on things by sporting a "Barkov City" shirt while posing next to the Stanley Cup inside the arena of the team he co-owns.
Barkov may still be celebrating the Stanley Cup win but his focus will quickly shift to defending their championship.
"We won the Cup, the greatest prize, but you want to feel the same feelings again. That leaves you hungry,” Barkov added (via NHL.com). "Winning the Cup helps us this coming season, but winning two in a row will no way be easy."
Florida Panthers' Sasha Barkov leads team to first Stanley Cup
Sasha Barkov led the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup win, beating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7. He helped limit top players such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the Finals, and his defensive play was also key throughout the playoffs, limiting the production of Nikita Kucherov, David Pastrnak, and Artemi Panarin.
Wayne Gretzky spoke highly about Barkov's performance and compared him to Bryan Trottier. The Panthers' GM, Bill Zito, also sent a congratulatory message to him.
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