Team Finland will be captained by a Stanley Cup champion at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Carolina Hurricanes stars Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen, and San Jose Sharks veteran Mikael Granlund, will serve as assistant captains.
Barkov, 29, was the first Finnish-born captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup last spring. The six-foot-three centre is one of the NHL’s best two-way players, with two Selke Trophies on his resume. Barkov has 12 goals and 42 points through 42 games this season.
Aho, like Barkov, is a talented centre who will be leaned on heavily by the Finns. He has 17 goals and 51 points in 51 games this season. Rantanen, who was acquired by Aho’s Hurricanes last week, has been Finland’s top scorer in the NHL with 432 points in 340 games over the last five years. Granlund is a 13-year NHL veteran with the Wild, Predators, Penguins and Sharks who has 44 points in 51 games this season.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will see Finland, Sweden, Canada and the United States compete in hockey’s first best-on-best tournament since 2016. The event will run from Feb. 12 to 20 in Montreal and Boston on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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