Giordano, now with the Maple Leafs, knows first-hand how Backlund went from the young rookie to Flames captain
Mark Giordano is happy to see Mikael Backlund is the one who will supplant him from second place on all-time list of games played for the Calgary Flames.
Happy for him, but still more than willing to take a shot at his long-time teammate and friend.
“It’s pretty cool to see,” said Giordano, reached in Toronto where he now plays for the Maple Leafs.
“Backs has sure come a long way from the little Swede who came to camp with white skates and wearing number 60,” he added with a laugh.
When Backlund takes the ice next, expected to be Tuesday’s home clash with the Ottawa Senators, it will mark his 949th regular season clash with the Flames, and tie him with Giordano for second spot, behind only Jarome Iginla (1,219).
Giordano, whose captaincy torch was passed to Backlund, was there for Game 1, the middle-of-the-season debut for the 2007 first-round draft choice.
Backlund had just won a silver medal at the 2009 world juniors in Ottawa, and was en route to joining the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets instead of returning to Sweden.
Before joining the Rockets — a loaded team coached by current Flames bench boss Ryan Huska that won the WHL championship — he stopped in Calgary for few days to be around the Flames. A wave of injuries necessitated his NHL debut on Jan. 8, 2009. He played just under 11 minutes in Calgary’s 5-2 win over the New York Islanders.
“He had a lot of flash in his game,” Giordano recalled. “And then he turned into one of the best two-way centres in the league.”
Now, he’s a two-way centre who continues to put his name in the books.
“I remember climbing on those lists and it makes you realize the importance,” said Giordano, whose Maple Leafs will visit Calgary later next week. “When I passed guys like Robyn Regehr, it was a big deal.
“Backs, he deserves a lot of credit. He’s been with the team through a lot of ups and downs and been through a lot of his own ups and downs. He’s a great example of perseverance.
“I can see him playing a lot more games, too. He doesn’t cheat the game. Teams are lucky to have those kind of guys around.”
Co-incidentally, Backlund also recently surpassed Giordano for ninth place on Calgary’s list for points. Giordano collected 509 points during his time, and Backlund is at 512, closing in on eighth place.
“About time. He’s a forward and I’m a defenceman," Giordano said with a hearty laugh. “I’m not giving him all the glory for that. He should have passed me a long time ago.”