Barkov, who last season became the first Finnish captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup, said the decision to give the Cup to Schmidt first was the payoff for all the work he and some of the other first-timers put in for Florida. “We knew those guys haven't won yet, and they came here to do that,” Barkov said. “They put so much effort to that and we're really happy to see winning and lifting the Cup.” The moment was extra special for Schmidt and Nosek, who went to the Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018 only to lose to the Washington Capitals in five games.
Published: 06/18/2025
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