Tmobile cornerstone9/13/2023 ![]() Being in this last year and right now in training camp, I'm having a lot of fun and really enjoying working hard and trying to win." When you come to the rink, you know you have a great chance to win. … The whole environment of this training camp is that you come to the rink and you're prepared to work hard in every practice, every game. Obviously they're building a team that's capable of contending for the Stanley Cup. "The organization is doing a really good job with that. "I can see how hockey here in South Florida is growing every year and every day," Barkov said. 14, Barkov believes the best is yet to come. With the 2021-22 season set to get underway on Oct. Add those players to a group that already featured the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar, and it's no surprise that expectations both in and beyond the borders of the Sunshine State are through the roof. Prior to sealing the deal with Sasha, Zito had already extended a multitude of other key players this offseason, including Carter Verhaeghe, Anthony Duclair and Sam Reinhart. After finishing with the fourth-best record during the 2020-21 regular season, they then gained national attention when they took the cross-state rival and eventual back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Lightning to six games in their first-ever playoff battle.Ĭarrying that newfound momentum into the offseason, the organization, much to Barkov's liking, has done everything it can over the past several months to fan the flames of that encouraging resurgence. Making great strides since Zito's arrival just over 13 months ago, the Panthers have quickly transformed into one of the most-intriguing teams in the league. It's not as farfetched an idea as it used to be. I've never thought about anything else other than being here, playing here and trying to win a Stanley Cup here." I've really loved every second here my whole career. "Being in the organization that drafted me, that gave me a chance to play here and develop me into the player I am right now and into the human being I am right now, to be able to stay here for as long as possible is a huge thing for me. "I'm going to be here for a long time," said Barkov, who ranks 12th in the league in scoring with 294 points since the start of the 2017-18 season. Throughout the league's history, only five players have won both the Lady Byng and Selke Trophy. Selke Trophy as the top the league's defensive forward. Rewriting the record books along the way, he currently ranks second on the franchise's all-time list in points and assists (284), and needs to score just eight more goals to surpass Olli Jokinen's mark of 187 for the most by a Panther.Ĭomplimenting his elite offensive abilities with all-world defense and exceptional character, Barkov won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2019 as the player who exhibits "the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability," and then added more hardware in 2021 when he finally took home the Frank J. Preparing for his ninth season in the NHL, Barkov has tallied 465 points in 529 career games, including 58 points in 50 games this past season. Since then, he hasn't slowed down one bit. It's that unmatched attention to detail that has helped Barkov evolve into one of hockey's best.Īrriving to the NHL as a soft-spoken, 18-year-old phenom after being selected by the Panthers with the second-overall pick in 2013, the Tampere, Finland native became the youngest player in more than 70 years to score a goal when he lit the lamp during a 4-2 win against the Stars in his long-awaited debut. "I think you're going to find in short order as you talk to his teammates that you'll see it resonate both in the words they use and the tone in the matter in which they use them how appreciated Sasha is as a teammate and as a leader and as an example with his attention to detail." "He's the cornerstone that we build around from a hockey perspective, from a culture perspective, from a leadership perspective," said Panthers General Manager Bill Zito, who joined Barkov on stage in front of a throng of media.
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