Calgary's longest serving current player avoids free agency with a $9-million deal
Mikael Backlund put pen to paper on a new contact and put a captain’s ‘C’ on his sweater.
Backlund, currently the longest serving player on the Calgary Flames roster, has opted to forego unrestricted free agency by re-signing a two-year, $9-million deal that was announced on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old center, Calgary’s 2007 first-round draft choice, is third on the franchise’s all-time list with 908 games (behind only Jarome Iginla and Mark Giordano), in which he has collected 185 goals and 492 points.
"This is our home. This is where I've grown from a little boy to a man," Backlund said.
"It's something special to be a captain in a Canadian city," he added.
Backlund, who collected 19 goals and 56 points last season, is heading into the final season of a six-year, $32.1-million contract — a $5.35-million cap hit.
“Mikael Backlund is our captain. He has been our captain for some time. Today we are excited to extend Mikael for two more seasons and officially add the captaincy to his jersey,” said general manager Craig Conroy. “We look forward to his continued leadership on the ice, in the locker room and in our community.”
The Flames had been without a captain for the past two seasons. Backlund, the 21st captain in franchise history, has been an alternate captain since the 2017-18 campaign.
Off the ice, Backlund has been a huge presence in the community, deeply involved in a variety of causes, including the ALS Society of Alberta, Kids Cancer Care, Special Olympics Calgary and Parachutes for Pets. In June, he was named the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his humanitarian efforts.
