Aleksander Barkov, captain of the Florida Panthers, has been having a good year, to say the least. Not only is he captaining a team that seems to really understand what it means to be a ‘team,’ evident in their depth playing during this entire playoff series, but his own individual efforts on the ice have now been recognized for the third time, and just a few days before he begins the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

Barkov has just been named the winner of the prestigious Selke Trophy with a total of 1,363 points in the final voting results that have just been released. The captain joins the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Pavel Datsyuk, and Rod Brind’Amour, who also won the trophy in back-to-back years, as Barkov won it in the 2023-2024 season and once previously in 2020-2021.

The Selke rewards a top forward with incredible defensive skills, and the fact that Barkov has now scored it over teammates Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand says a lot. Furthermore, another Panther and top scorer for Florida this playoff season, Sam Reinhart, was second on the voting list, so Barkov is clearly proving his place as captain with the results. And in case no one was fully convinced, Barkov also won his first-ever King Clancy trophy on the same day!

The legacy that Aleksander Barkov joins after winning his third Selke Trophy

And the feats don’t stop there for Barkov; he also joins an elite group of players who have managed to win this special trophy that defines playing across all lines thrice! These are just 3 NHL legends, Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Jere Lehtinen, making Barkov the fourth. There’s no telling what effect this surge of confidence can have on game output, but as per Leon Draisaitl’s (Barkov’s top opponent this week onwards) account, it changes everything! There is still room for Barkov to do more, though, because Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins won the award 6 times, so staying somewhat humble is probably wise.

Which has never seemed to have been a problem for soft-spoken Barkov. In fact, the captain was at the Panthers’ practice center in Fort Lauderdale when he was paid a visit by children from Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital, who presented him with the King Clancy first and then the Selke. Barkov’s immense humility was clear in his response. “Very surprised,” Barkov said upon receiving the second accolade. “I was not expecting it at all. When they brought in another trophy, it was pretty overwhelming for me. I am truly honored by that award.”

So Aleksander Barkov enters the Stanley Cup finals suited, booted, and awarded. Surely, Paul Maurice will have him focus on the task at hand first and foremost, but if he manages to take away the cup this year as well, at least we’ll know that one of us had a truly epic 2025! Jokes aside, Aleksander Barkov has been silently working his way towards making history for years and is finally reaping the benefits of his efforts.