Unbelievably classy gesture by Aleksander Barkov at 1:35AM goes viral

Once again, the Florida Panthers have proven they’re the best team in the NHL, capturing their second straight Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the Final on Tuesday night.

As tradition dictates, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov received the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and hoisted it to get the party started.

Barkov then made the classy decision to let teammates who had never won the Cup before hoist it first during the on-ice celebrations. Veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt, to his surprise, was the first to receive the trophy from his captain.

That moment alone spoke volumes about Barkov’s leadership.

But the captain was not done yet. While the Panthers’ players and executives reuniting with their families before heading back to the dressing room for some beers and champagne, Barkov was putting another unbelievably classy gesture in motion.

Later that night — or rather, early morning — around 1:35 a.m., while many of his teammates were still celebrating in the dressing room, Barkov returned to the ice with the Stanley Cup. Not for the cameras. Not for the fans. But to share the moment with the arena staff, who were cleaning the stands and wrapping up their long night of work.

The gesture is so classy and perfectly reflects Barkov’s humility and respect for every member of the organization — even those who work behind the scenes.

Barkov continues to redefine what it means to be a captain. And it’s just one more reason the Panthers are back-to-back champions.

Later in the night, Barkov walked around his neighbourhood at 5am, knocking on his neighbors doors to show them the Stanley Cup.

He wanted everyone to take part in the celebrations !