Panthers' Aleksander Barkov Played Through Gruesome Injury In Stanley Cup Finals
Head coach Paul Maurice revealed that both Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart were dealing with serious injuries during the Final, yet neither missed a game.
In Game 1 of the Cup Final, Aleksander Barkov “split the palm of his hand open.” It required sutures, but those were torn out twice, so they glued his hand together.
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 18, 2025
Still averaged over 23 minutes of ice time, playing key minutes against McDavid 🔒 (via @SnipesStripes) pic.twitter.com/yWrQOczTVL
Barkov split open the palm of his hand in Game 1, tearing his stitches out twice before the team ultimately resorted to gluing the wound shut. Despite the injury, he still posted five assists in the series and continued to neutralize Connor McDavid defensively en route to a second consecutive Cup and another Selke-worthy performance.
Barkov Fought Through Pain to Help Panthers' Cup Repeat
While Barkov battled through shredded skin, Reinhart pushed through a Grade 2 MCL tear suffered in the Eastern Conference Final. Though he missed Games 3 and 4 of that series, he returned in time for the Stanley Cup Final and somehow elevated his game.
Aleksander Barkov really went walking around his neighborhood at 5am, knocking on his neighbors doors to show them the Stanley Cup 🤣
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 18, 2025
He’s as real as they come 💯 (via @rogerarojas_) pic.twitter.com/O4tzFEAWEx
Reinhart scored seven goals over six games, including an unforgettable four-goal effort in the Cup-clinching Game 6 win over the Oilers. He finished the playoffs with 23 points in 21 games, cementing his place as a key offensive weapon for the Panthers throughout the postseason yet again.
Panthers’ Resilience Defines Their Culture
Alongside Barkov and Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk also played through a torn adductor and sports hernia, while others gutted out their own undisclosed injuries.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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