Barkov’s Stanley Cup celebration to be streamed live from Tampere, Finland

Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov, the captain of the Florida Panthers and originally from Tampere, will have his Stanley Cup celebration broadcast worldwide. Yle will stream the event live on its Yle Areena platform on Wednesday, July 31, starting at 5 PM. Approximately 15,000 people are expected to attend the celebration, nearly filling the new arena in Tampere.

Barkov’s NHL team, the Florida Panthers, has committed to promoting the Stanley Cup celebration through their social media channels. “It’s great that Aleksander now has the opportunity to enjoy his achievement in his hometown, as he has dedicated much of his time to our community in South Florida and to the sport,” said Bill Zito, the team’s hockey operations director and general manager, in a statement. Zito expressed anticipation for Barkov’s return in the fall.

The live broadcast is part of Yle’s Open Platform pilot project. Tamhockey, the parent company of Tappara, will handle the technical production of the event in collaboration with their partners, while Yle will distribute it through the Arena. “This way, we can bring more events to the audience through the Arena,” commented Jyri Kataja-Rahko, the event manager for Yle’s Sports and Events division.

Tampere’s mayor, Kalervo Kummola, expressed excitement over the visibility this event brings, further solidifying Tampere’s status as Finland’s ice hockey capital.