Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was honored by the NHL on Monday for his stinginess and his generosity.
Barkov was revealed as the winners of the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward and the King Clancy Trophy for noteworthy humanitarian contribution.
He won the Selke Trophy for the second consecutive season and third time in his career. He also won in 2020-21.
Barkov was surprised with both trophies at a team meeting as boys and girls from the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital visited the Panthers’ facility. Since 2019, he has been donating $1,600 for every goal scored and $800 for every assist during the regular season and playoffs. To date, he has donated more than $420,000 to the hospital.
Barkov is heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row, starting Wednesday in Edmonton. His shutdown abilities will be important as he faces Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers for the second consecutive season.
Barkov received 96 first-place votes from the Professional Hockey Writers Association and 1,363 total points. Florida’s Sam Reinhart (837 points) was second, marking the first time that teammates had finished 1-2 in Selke voting.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli (828) was the other finalist.
The NHL has announced its award finalists but has yet to announce the schedule for when winners will be revealed.
Lightning re-sign Yanni Gourde
The Lightning signed forward Yanni Gourde to a six-year, $14 million contract on Monday. He had won Stanley Cup titles with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021 before being taken in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.
Tampa Bay reacquired Gourde, 33, from the Kraken at the trade deadline in March.
Jesper Fast announces retirement
‘I never took for granted the privilege of playing in the best league in the world,’ Fast said in a statement. ‘I am grateful for all of the teammates, coaches, staff and fans from the Rangers and Hurricanes who made my time in the NHL so special, and for my family for everything they did to help me achieve and live my dream. I’d also like to thank Nässjö HC and HV71, organizations that played a vital role in my development into an NHL player.’
Fast, 33, played 703 career regular-season games for the New York Rangers and Hurricanes over 11 seasons, totaling 91 goals and 157 assists for 248 points. He scored the series-clinching goal in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.
