Aleksander Barkov is the Athlete of the Year 2024. The award was received by his first coach Timo Mäkinen, who joked about the stumbling blocks of young players.
21:51•Updated 22:07
Urheilu followed the Sports Gala moment by moment in this article.
It was a historic but expected choice. At last, the ice hockey player has been awarded Sportsman of the Year at the Sports Gala.
Alexander Barkov led the Florida Panthers to the NHL championship last season. He became the first Finn to win the Stanley Cup as the captain of his team.
Barkov, 29, scored 23+57=80 power points in 73 games in the regular season last season. In the playoffs, the outputs of 24 matches were 8+14=22.
Above all else, Barkov is known as a comprehensive center forward, perhaps the best in the world. As proof of that, last season Barkov won the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is given to the NHL’s best defensive forward. He also received a clear in the 2020–21 season.
The road to Barkov’s historic selection was paved by the fact that Finland did not – for the first time in its history – win a medal at the Summer Olympics.
At the sports gala, the selection of the athlete of the year was announced by the president of the republic Alexander Stubb and chairman of the Sports Journalists’ Association Kari Linna.
Naturally, Barkov was not present at the Sports Gala, but in North America. There, the Florida Panthers’ Finnish assistant coach announced the selection to Barkov Tuomo Ruutu.
– Sasha, let’s be lucky, the president of the republic, Alexander Stubb, has just declared you the Sportsman of the Year 2024 at the Finnish Sports Gala, Ruutu declared and asked about the first impressions.
– Thank you, thank you. Well, I don’t know, I can’t really answer that. It’s a really big honor. I know that no hockey player has been selected before. There have been really great athletes chosen and a really long history in that. Really taken, Barkov replied.
The Finnish skipper joked that “I didn’t expect such a start to the morning”.
– But thank you very much. It would not have happened in any case without you Finns here, my teammates and all the support I have received here.
At the sports gala in Helsinki, Barkov’s first coach was accepting the award on behalf of Aleksander Barkov Timo Mäkinen.
– I must say that the word “pride” does not belong in my mouth. I am terribly satisfied, happy, grateful and all the good things I have been able to do with Sasha. Grateful above all that I was able to accompany him in those early years on this glorious path, which ended up being one of the best ice hockey players in the world, Mäkinen said.
Mäkis has often been asked if Barkov saw immediately as a child that he would become a superstar. Mäkinen joked that talent can be seen, but there are many variables on the way, such as whether at a certain age girls become more interested.
In his speech of thanks, Barkov came back to the fact that he is the first hockey player to receive the honor.
– I know it’s a really big deal. It’s a great honor to be the first.
Barkov emphasized that it would take too long to try to thank everyone who helped him.
– But of course my family, teammates, everyone who has played a big role in helping me, playing with me, spending time with me, making me a better hockey player and a better person. A really big thank you to them.
– Of course, Timo Mäkinen. You are my first coach, you have taught me everything I know right now. Thank you very much for being able to be there on the spot now.