Barkov Gives Back with Charity Golf Tournament in Finland

In what has become one of his favorite offseason traditions, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov once again teamed up with Blue Jackets sniper Patrik Laine to host the third-annual Laine & Barkov Charity Golf Tournament at Nokia River Golf in Finland this past weekend.
"It's getting bigger all the time," Barkov said. "The first time, we didn't really know if it would last. You just lived in the moment. Now, it's becoming a tradition, not just for us but for the people who come to it. It does good things for the community in Finland and tries to help the people."

For Barkov and Laine, giving back is what the event is all about.
After coming together to raise more than $100,000 for the Tampere Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities last year, this year's tournament successfully brought in more than $160,000 for Hope, an organization that provides sporting opportunities to underserved kids.
"It's to help people to play the sports they really like, but they're not able to afford it," Barkov said of Hope. "It's a really big thing here in Finland to help people play the sports they like. Not everyone can afford it, so that's why we're here trying to raise some money for that. We want to help fulfill their dreams and maybe even their goals for life. We're really enjoying that part."
Of course, not even superstars like Barkov and Laine could raise that sort of money alone.
In order to drive participation and donations for the event, the duo enlisted the help of a star-studded group of Finnish celebrities, including former Panthers forward Jussi Jokinen, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and professional golfer Sami Valimaki, just to name a few.
Many of these special guests - as well as numerous others that couldn't attend in person - also helped lend a hand by providing a treasure trove of valuable items for the tournament's auction, which featured everything from signed memorabilia to unique experiences and travel packages.
"There's lots of good things," Barkov said when asked about the items up for auction. "There's one of Teemu Selanne's jerseys from when he played for the Anaheim ducks. He's a big legend here in Finland. Everything that has his signature is huge."
"I think Patrik's All-Star Game jersey is pretty big, too. Best Finnish golfer, Valimaki, his golf set is big. I think getting a really good chef for one night to cook for you and your friends is a really nice thing, too. We have many things up for auction."
To check out some of the items that were sold, visit
@LaineBarkovCharityGolf
on Instagram.

With another successful tournament in the books, Barkov said he plans to spend a few more weeks at home with his family and friends enjoying everything his home country has to offer before heading back to South Florida to prepare for what is shaping up to be a thrilling season.
"I love coming back to Finland and seeing all my friends, my family, working out with all my people I usually work out with during the summer and just spending time with them," Barkov said. "I usually don't play golf much, but I play a lot of tennis. That new sport called padel, I enjoy playing that, too. Going to the sauna and jumping in the lake after that is one of the best things ever to do. I'm really enjoying my offseason right now, but at the same time I'm really excited about next season and can't wait to get back to Florida to step on the ice with the team."
\Video courtesy of Tomi Siren*