Aleksander Barkov has been the captain of the Florida Panthers for the past seven seasons and has won two consecutive Stanley Cups over the past two years. But early in his Panthers career, he found himself sharing a locker room with living legend Jaromir Jagr. And Jagr taught Barkov one important lesson about what separates good from great…
Jaromir Jagr is one of the true greats of hockey. Having played professionally across five different decades, racking up 1,921 NHL points and two Stanley Cups, Jagr knows a thing or two about the game. Most importantly: how to train properly—something a young Aleksander Barkov really absorbed.
Followed Jagr around
In 2015, Jagr was traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Panthers. He was 43 at the time, while Barkov was just 20. Naturally, Barkov followed Jagr closely and tried to learn everything he could from the legend.
”He showed me one important thing. During a 45-to-60-minute practice, if you count how many shots the goalie faces and then compare it to how many pucks you shoot in that same practice, you realize you’re shooting 10 to 20 times less,” Barkov explains in an interview.
Aleksander Barkov on Jaromir Jagr
“That’s something you need to work on—after practice, before practice, or even at home if you have a net or some space to shoot. You’ve got to shoot more than the goalie saves in a single session. If you’re only making 10–20 shots a practice, but the goalie is seeing 100–120? That’s a massive gap. That advice stuck with me, and I always try to follow it,” Barkov says.
After regular practice, Barkov now always tries to find ways to shoot more pucks.
You can watch the interview below.
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