October 4, 2019 – At just 18-years-old, Aleksander Barkov was playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) and winning a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. Now, the Florida Panthers captain is helping other young people live out their sports dreams.
Barkov, 24, has connected with the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation for the 2019-20 season to support kids being treated at largest children’s hospital serving Broward, Palm Beach, and northern Miami-Dade counties. He will donate a suite at each Panthers home game for hospital patients and representatives use and contribute $1,600 to the nonprofit organization for each goal scored. Barkov, whose jersey number is 16, set the Panthers single season scoring record last season with a 96-point campaign that included 35 goals. 
“I’ve had the opportunity to spend time at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and realized what a vital institution it is for South Florida, my adopted home,” said Barkov, known as “Sasha” to family and friends. “Meeting the caregivers, administrators, and, most of all, patients and families made me want to be more deeply involved.”
The native of Finland won the 2018-19 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player that combines the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability.
“To connect our patients and families to someone with as much character as Sasha is an ideal situation,” said Kevin Janser, senior vice president and chief development officer for Memorial Healthcare System. “He’ll no doubt bring excitement and happiness to those impacted by serious medical issues.”
Barkov was the second overall pick in the 2013 draft and has played his entire NHL career for the Panthers. The Boca Raton resident was named the team’s captain prior to last season.
Updates on the alliance between the hockey star and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital (JDCH) will be chronicled throughout the season on social media sites, including Barkov’s Instagram (@barkovsasha) and JDCH-connected accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Search “#BarkovScores4JoeD”
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital currently has 226 licensed beds, seven operating rooms, and an entire floor dedicated to pediatric oncology, all in a caring, compassionate setting designed specifically for children. It is South Broward county’s only level one pediatric trauma center, combining advanced technology, the expertise of some of South Florida’s most diverse, board-certified specialists, and a patient and family-centered focus to heal the
body, mind, and spirit of those it touches.
The hospital’s nonprofit foundation raises funds to assist patients, families, and underwrite programs, facilities, and equipment that support the pediatric facility’s mission.
