‘Good Guy’ Backlund honoured for being ‘a pro’
Mikael Backlund is the first one to tell you there have been many ups and downs in his National Hockey League career.
Drafted by the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2007 draft, the Vasteras, Sweden, native logged his first NHL game during the 2008-09 season and scored his first goal on Jan. 28, 2010, at Arizona.
There have been many milestones for the 31-year-old since arriving on scene as a fresh-faced teenager.
And adding to Backlund’s career as a Flame was Thursday’s telling nod — the annual Peter Maher “Good Guy” Award. It’s voted on by members of the local media and given to the member of the team that exemplifies everything that Maher, the former longtime play-by-play radio voice, was about during his time around the team.
Although the 2019-20 NHL season was cut short, Backlund proved to be an easy player to deal with through 70 games and was always available.
“It’s been a long ride, a lot of years ... I really appreciate the award and it means a lot to me,” Backlund said. “We have a great relationship (with the media), not just me but the team has the whole time I’ve been here in Calgary. It’s been easy to talk to (the media) ... it’s been a great relationship.”
Backlund follows previous award winners Travis Hamonic, Matt Stajan, Chad Johnson and three-time award winner Joe Colborne, who earned the inaugural “Peter Maher Good Guy” nod after the 2013-14 campaign.
“We all know how important Backs is to us and as an organization, he’s really an example of the type of individual you want in your organization,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said.
“He’s a pro, through and through, the way he prepares and looks after himself. It’s how you’d want a pro to prepare. He treats his teammates the right way. He treats the fans the right way. I don’t know if you could have a more deserving person for this award.
“We’re proud of what the award represents and we’re proud to have Backs as part of our group.”
Because of Sweden’s coronavirus strategy and more relaxed regulations, Backlund has been able to complete off-ice workouts and in-line skating with his trainer throughout the NHL pause.
When he and his family were quarantined in Calgary during the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, he was sequestered to his basement gym.
He resumed skating this week after only hitting the ice a handful of times in April, but said it’s hard to find ice in his hometown.
“The closer we get, and if we do play, I’ll start driving to Stockholm and try to skate with (other players) there and get some scrimmages in and stuff,” Backlund said. “I think in a couple of weeks there will be ice in my hometown as well. It makes this week and next week (of skating) and then I’ll wrap it up if the season will resume.”
At the time of the NHL pause Backlund was on a roll, scoring 16 goals and 29 assists in 70 games and playing some of the best hockey of his career.
And now, with Thursday’s announcement of the NHL’S ‘Return to Play’ plan transitioning to Phase 2 on June 8 with clubs reopening training facilities, he and the rest of the Flames could be that much closer to returning to action. The first part of the NHL’S transition plan allows players to participate in individualized, voluntary training activities, on- and off-ice.
Backlund said that he and his teammates will have to accept that an eventual training camp — if it happens — won’t be perfect, given the amount of time they’ve spent off the ice and away from one another.
“We just have to make the most of camp and get timing back and get back to NHL speed,” Backlund said. “We just have to accept and not get frustrated … I know going into camp, it’s going to be different.
“Even when we start playing, if we do play, it’s going to matter right away. So, I hope I find my
‘A’ game right away. But if it takes one or two games, it’s been a while.”