The NHL announced that captain Mikael Backlund was named to the Calgary Flames Quarter-Century Second Team. Here's a look back at his career in red.
The NHL announced the Calgary Flames Quarter-Century teams on Jan. 11, featuring several memorable names in franchise history.
Today, we want to examine Mikael Backlund's tenure with the club and his credentials for the Flames' second team.
Initially selected by the Flames as the 24th pick in the 2007 Draft, Backlund is the only drafted player in franchise history to skate in 1,000 games. He bypassed Hall of Famer Al MacInnis, who was drafted 15th overall in 1981 and previously held the record at 803 games.
Through 17 seasons, Backlund is a three-time 20-goal scorer and has scored at least ten goals in 12 seasons, with a career-high 22 in 2016-17.
Through 1,045 games, his career totals include 210 goals, 343 assists, and 553 points. His best season came in 2022-23 when he had 19 goals and 37 assists for 56 points, only the second time he's surpassed 50 points in a season on top of 2016-17 (53).
Moreover, Backlund is plus-64 in his career, only registering a negative plus/minus total on five occasions.
Surprisingly, he's totaled 553 points and has almost as many penalty minutes with 479. In 2017-18, when Backlund had 14 goals and 45 points, he minus-21 and had a career-high 78 penalty minutes.
Although Backlund has never been selected to an NHL All-Star Game, he's finished in the top 15 in Frank J. Selke Trophy voting on four occasions and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2022-23.
On Sept. 27, 2023, the Flames promoted Backlund to the captaincy, making him the first Swedish-born leader in franchise history while becoming only the third captain in the salary cap era behind Jarome Iginla (2003-2013) and Mark Giordano (2013-2020).
Since Backlund has played his entire career in this century, these are his totals and ranks among players over the past 25 years:
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Interestingly, Backlund has scored one hat trick (Apr. 7, 2016), one playoff goal (May 5, 2015), and one penalty shot goal (Oct. 19, 2019) on two attempts.
Moreover, in 42 playoff games, he's collected 22 points, thanks to 12 goals and ten assists, including two power-play, two shorthanded, and two game-winning goals.
After the 2024-25 season, Backlund will have one season left on a two-year deal signed on Sept. 27, 2023. He'll be 37 at the end of the contract, which leaves many to wonder if he'll finish his career with the Flames or if the club will move him or let him walk as a free agent.
No matter what happens, Backlund's legacy as one of the most successful draft picks in team history will be unmatched.
