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Mikael Backlund (born 17 March 1989) is a
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...
centre and alternate captain for the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey tea ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL). Backlund was a first round
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, 24th overall, of the Flames in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and made his NHL debut in 2008–09. He played
junior hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
for VIK Västerås HK in the
J20 SuperElit J20 Nationell is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. Previously known as the J20 SuperElit, it is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, ''Norra'' (North) ...
and the Kelowna Rockets of the
Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior ...
(WHL). He was a member of Kelowna's WHL championship team in 2009. Internationally, Backlund has represented Sweden on several occasions—he was a member of two silver medal-winning teams at the World Junior Championship, and has won a bronze, silver and gold medals with the Swedes at the
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
.


Playing career


Västerås HK

Backlund began his
junior hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
career with the VIK Västerås HK organization in the
J20 SuperElit J20 Nationell is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. Previously known as the J20 SuperElit, it is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, ''Norra'' (North) ...
, Sweden's premier junior league. His impressive two-way play earned him the opportunity to play for Västerås' senior team in the second-tier
HockeyAllsvenskan HockeyAllsvenskan (previously Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the second-highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system (after the SHL). Since the 2009–10 season, the league consists of fourteen teams ...
as a 16-year-old. In his debut on 2 November 2005, during an away game against Växjö Lakers, Backlund scored a goal in the first period of a 4–0 win and was selected as the player of the game for his team. He tallied four points in his 12 games in HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2005–06 season. That same season, Backlund was dominant in the 2006 TV-pucken, a national under-17 tournament in Sweden played among districts. Leading the tournament in goal- and point-scoring, he was selected as the most valuable player and given the Sven Tumba Award as best forward in the tournament. Backlund played another two seasons for Västerås HK, splitting time in the J20 SuperElit and HockeyAllsvenskan. During this time, he was selected in the first round, 24th overall, by the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey tea ...
in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Scouts had ranked him second amongst European skaters. Following the 2007–08 season, Backlund signed an entry-level contract with the Flames. He impressed during the rookie camp but was not as successful during the main training camp, and started the 2008–09 season playing on loan for Västerås back in HockeyAllsvenskan. After his success in the 2009 World Junior Championships, he returned to Calgary and made his NHL debut on 8 January 2009, in a 5–2 win against the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
. Soon thereafter, the Flames assigned him to the Kelowna Rockets of the
Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior ...
(WHL) for the remainder of the 2008–09 season. Competing for the Rockets in the 2009 WHL playoffs, Backlund tied teammate Jamie Benn for the League lead with 13 goals in 19 games as Kelowna defeated the
Calgary Hitmen The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" H ...
in the final to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup.


Calgary Flames

Backlund began the 2009–10 season with the Flames'
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat. On 26 January 2010, he was called up to play on the NHL squad, and scored his first NHL goal on 28 January against the
Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mu ...
. He split the season between the AHL and NHL, scoring 32 points in 54 games in Abbotsford, and ten points in 23 games with Calgary. Though he spent most of the 2010–11 season in Calgary, Backlund struggled offensively early, and after scoring just eight points in his first 32 games, was sat out of six consecutive games as a healthy scratch before being sent to Abbotsford on a brief conditioning stint. He appeared in 73 games for the Flames, scoring ten goals and 25 points. Injuries plagued Backlund throughout 2011–12. He was expected to centre the Flames' top line between Jarome Iginla and
Alex Tanguay Alex Joseph Jean Tanguay (born November 21, 1979) is currently an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Fl ...
, but suffered a broken finger in training camp that twice required surgery to repair and caused him to miss the first six weeks of the season. He then suffered a shoulder injury in a mid-February game while attempting to confront a
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
player he felt had injured a teammate. The injury ended his season, and in 41 games, he scored only 11 points. Following the season, the Flames re-signed Backlund to a new contract for the 2012–13 season, a one-year deal worth US$725,000. However, with the season's start delayed by a
labour dispute A labor dispute is a disagreement between an employer and employees regarding the terms of employment. This could include disputes regarding conditions of employment, fringe benefits, hours of work, tenure, and wages to be negotiated during ...
, Backlund returned to Sweden for the balance of the lockout. He re-joined Västerås and appeared in 23 games for the team, scoring 12 goals and 30 points before returning to North America after a new deal between the NHL and its players was reached. His performance with Västerås provided a confidence boost for Backlund, who said that he wanted to return to Calgary and "show everybody I can play way better." Backlund enjoyed a solid NHL season upon coming back to Calgary, missing 16 games but still managing to post one point every two games on average for the first time in his career. His eight goals and sixteen points were eighth and tenth on a rebuilding Flames team which badly missed the playoffs. In July 2013, the Flames signed Backlund to a two-year, $3 million contract extension. That season, he recorded the best totals of his career in every offensive category, finishing third on the Flames in goals (18) and fourth in points (39). While the team around him regressed to the worst finish in team history, Backlund asserted himself as one of its top offensive threats. In 2014–15, Backlund faltered slightly, suffering through injuries and trade rumours; however, the Flames surprisingly skyrocketed up the standings en route to their first playoff berth in six years. Backlund's 10 goals and 27 points were just 11th and 12th on the Flames, but he only played 52 games in the regular season. He continued struggling into the playoffs, only recording 1 goal and 1 assist in 11 games played. However, the one goal Backlund scored was an important one, as it came in overtime of Game 3 of the Flames' second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks to give Calgary their first win past the first round in 13 years. On 20 June 2015, Backlund signed a three-year, $10.725 million contract extension with Calgary. Put on a line with free-agent acquisition Michael Frolík, Backlund enjoyed his most productive year yet in 2015–16, passing the 20-goal and 40-point plateaus for the first time in his career. His final totals were 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points. While contributing significantly in the offensive zone, Backlund also established himself as a defensive catalyst, forming a tag-team on the penalty kill with Frolík; together, the two of them combined for five short-handed goals in the season. Backlund finished first on the team in the plus/minus column, sporting a +10. Backlund kept improving in 2016–17, turning into one of the NHL's premier two-way players. At the discretion of new head coach
Glen Gulutzan Glen Gulutzan (born August 12, 1971) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers. Playing career Gulutzan played junior hockey with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Brandon Wheat Kings ...
, rookie Matthew Tkachuk was slotted in on the left side of Backlund and Frolík, forming a line dubbed by fans and media as the "3M Line". Matthew, Mikael and Michael formed one of the most potent lines in the NHL in 2016–17, combining for 145 points, the most of any Flames line. Contributing the most offense to that line was Backlund, who once again eclipsed his career-highs by posting 22 goals and 53 points, good for second and third on the Flames. He also played well past the regular season, posting a goal and two assists in four playoff games. However, it was Backlund's defensive work that began to receive recognition around the NHL in 2016–17, as he finished fourth in voting for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded each year to the NHL's best defensive forward. On 16 February 2018, Backlund signed a six-year contract extension with the Flames.


International play

Backlund played for Sweden at the 2006 World U18 Championships, scoring one goal in three games. In
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...
, he led Sweden to a U18 bronze medal when he scored a natural
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wi ...
in an 8–3 win over
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
in the bronze medal game. He led the tournament in goal-scoring with six goals in six games. Backlund was a member of the Swedish junior team that won back-to-back
silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, e ...
s in the
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
and
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
World Junior Championships, losing to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
in both instances. He scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the 2008 semi-final against
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
. The next year, he recorded a two-goal game in the semi-final against
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
. After being eliminated in the second round of the AHL playoffs in 2010, Backlund was invited to play for Sweden's men's team at the
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, accepting the offer. Despite being left off the initial roster, Backlund was invited to the
2016 World Cup of Hockey The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It was ...
as a replacement for injured Henrik Zetterberg on 1 September. Backlund is the captain of the Swedish team, and helped to win the gold at the
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in 2018.


Personal life

Backlund is charitably active in both
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
and Sweden. In Calgary, he is a spokesman for both the
Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...
and the Kid's Cancer Care Foundation. Since 2013, he has donated $150 to the latter charity for each NHL point he records. He has also listed the ALS Society of Alberta has his charity of choice, and in partnership with KPMG, donates $200 for every point he earns. In Sweden, Backlund participated in the Ride for Hope bicycle race and raised $27,000 for charity. The Flames recognized his charitable efforts by naming him the 2014 recipient of the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award. Backlund married his fiancée Frida Engström in Sweden on 11 August 2018. Together, the couple have a daughter and a son. He is the nephew of former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
Gary Sundgren and the cousin of professional footballer Daniel Sundgren.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


Awards and honours


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Backlund, Mikael 1989 births Living people Abbotsford Heat players Calgary Flames draft picks Calgary Flames players Swedish expatriate ice hockey players in Canada Kelowna Rockets players National Hockey League first-round draft picks Sportspeople from Västerås Swedish ice hockey centres VIK Västerås HK players