Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov is very close to becoming the first Finnish captain to win the Stanley Cup. Which countries haven’t had a Cup-winning captain yet?
Aleksander Barkov and the Florida Panthers were walloped when they tried to complete the sweep, but they’re still one win away from winning the Stanley Cup.
After taking a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup final, the Florida Panthers had a nightmare 8-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers and will now look to bounce back in Game 5.
While this loss was undoubtedly bad for the Panthers, they are still in an incredible place in the series. They have three more chances, including two games at home, to pick up their final win and lift the Stanley Cup.
If the Panthers successfully take the series, Aleksander Barkov will make NHL history as the first Finnish captain to lead their team to the Stanley Cup.
Aleksander Barkov
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The 2013 second-overall pick has been sensational this post-season, recording seven goals, 21 points and a plus-2 rating in 21 games so far. Besides being effective offensively, his defensive play has also helped the Panthers get this far.
Barkov would also join some elite company to win the Stanley Cup if they pull it off and avoid a massive Oilers comeback.
Non-Canadian Captains Who Won Cup Are Rare
Historically, there have been very few non-Canadian captains of Stanley Cup champions.
In 1999, with the Dallas Stars, Derian Hatcher became the first U.S. captain in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup. Since then, Dustin Brown has been the only other U.S. player to achieve this, captaining the Los Angeles Kings to their 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup wins.
Dustin Brown
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European-born-and-trained captain to win the Stanley Cup during the Detroit Red Wings’ 2008 run. It took until 2022 for Sweden to have its second captain win the Stanley Cup, as Gabriel Landeskog led the Colorado Avalanche to glory.
Slovakia has a Stanley Cup-winning captain, as Zdeno Chara led the Boston Bruins to their sixth-ever championship in 2011. He also came close to adding two more to his resume, but the Bruins lost the 2013 and 2019 Cup finals.
Zdeno Chara
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
And after several failed playoff runs, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin became the first Russian-born-and-raised captain to win the Stanley Cup in 2018.
As a result, it will be a huge deal if Barkov can lead the Panthers to their first-ever Stanley Cup. However, we must wait and see if Connor McDavid and the Oilers can shock the Panthers and stop Barkov from making history.
Which Countries Are Left Besides Finland?
Besides Finland, multiple countries with great hockey talent have yet to have a captain win the Stanley Cup.
Czechia is one of them. That may surprise some, as it has had plenty of great players come from their country, including Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias, Jakub Voracek, Milan Hejduk and David Krejci. At this juncture, there isn’t a captain from Czechia in the NHL, but David Pastrnak could become one for the Boston Bruins when Brad Marchand retires.
David Pastrnak
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Switzerland does not have a Stanley Cup-winning captain, but that could change. Nico Hischier is currently captain of the New Jersey Devils, and they are a good starting goalie away from being a real threat in the Eastern Conference. Roman Josi is also captain of the Nashville Predators, and they took a big step forward in their retool in 2024-25.
While Anze Kopitar was a key member of both of the Kings’ previous Stanley Cup wins, he was not their captain at the time. Thus, Slovenia does not have a Stanley Cup-winning captain yet. The potential for the Kings to be contenders is there, but like the Devils, they need upgrades in net.
Anze Kopitar
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Germany has yet to have a captain win the Stanley Cup, and that may not change for a while. Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle and Moritz Seider are the best Germans in the NHL right now, but all of them are on teams with captains who won’t be losing the ‘C’ anytime soon.
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