Alexander Barkov expected to do better in the second year of professional hockey
17-year-old professional ice hockey player and son of former professional, Alexander Barkov, who had made his debut last year at the professional level, would be expected to do better this season as he is going through second season of his professional
career.
Barkov Junior, who holds nationality of both Finland and Russia, is son of Barkov Senior, the former Russian ice hockey player, who played 22 years at the professional level and retired in 2004 when his son was 10 years old.
Last year, at the age of 16, the Finland native who also holds Russia’s citizenship, made his name by showing impressive performance at such young age in Finland’s top league. He played for Team Tappara in the SM-Liiga and played 32 games by scoring
seven goals, nine assists and total of 16 points.
The Tampere, Finland born forward also become youngest player to score a point in the league on 1st October 2011 when he assisted Kalle Kaijomaa and also became second youngest player to score in World Junior Championships on
2nd January 2012, when he scored against Slovakia at the age of 16 years and 4 months.
Ranked 4th among 64 under-21 players, Barkov Jnr. Thinks that SM-Liiga is a much better league and it was a right decision to join it, as he said while talking to NHL.com,
"It was big step [from the under-20 league], but there's a better game in SM-liiga. I tried to play my own game."
The 6-foot-2, 194 pounder centre is already expected to be selected in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft and has many eyes which are watching him very closely. But the young player is not concerned and affected by it as he said,
"I don't think about them. I only play for the team and try to win the game. Sometimes I think about that [the draft], but I live in this moment."
NHL’s director of European Scouting, Goran Stubb had a lot of words of praise for the player as he told NHL.com,
"He's a skilled, mature center with good size. Cool, smart center with excellent vision -- very good playmaker and passer. Never panics. Good team player."
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