Mikael Backlund will be making history. He’s set to become the second Calgary Flames player to hit 1,000 games played with the franchise, behind only, of course: Jarome Iginla. Last year, Backlund easily passed another former captain in Mark Giordano for sole possession of second in the franchise. Coming into 2024–25, Backlund needed just 10 games to reach the thousand-game mark.
As the schedule would have it, Backlund will get the very special honour of being the first player in NHL history to play his 1,000th game in the Utah Hockey Club’s Delta Center when the Flames pay them their first-ever visit.
A storied career for Backlund
It’s all too fitting that the second Flames player to reach this threshold is Backlund. A first-round selection by the Flames all the way back in 2007, it’s a trip down memory lane to think back to the state of the franchise when he was drafted. Now nearly two decades later, one of the team’s most reliable and loyal players is getting his flowers in a way few players get to do.
Backlund reaching 1,000 games with the Flames is truly special. He had his fair share of injury woes and there was a time when it seemed he was always due for an annual injury that limited his usage and effectiveness as a player. Thankfully that time was quite literally a decade ago. Backlund’s been healthy and his health has played a large role in how he’s arriving at this career milestone.
Over the years, he’s cemented himself as a premier two-way centreman in the NHL. Most Flames players that line up with him see better numbers across the board and there’s genuine credit to Backlund in the development of NHLers like Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane, and now even Connor Zary. Backlund has been through several eras of Flames hockey, from rebuilds to competitive seasons, and now he finds himself back in another rebuild, except now he’s the captain. Suffice it to say he’s seen it all.
The road to one thousand
Backlund is part of a cohort of several players set to hit 1,000 games this season. He’s the third to do it as Luke Schenn (Nashville Predators) and Tyler Myers (Vancouver Canucks) reached the milestone ahead of him back in the first few weeks of the season. Immediately Backlund stands out as the first player this season to play all 1,000 games with one team—Schenn being a bit of a journeyman and Myers playing in a third extended stint with a team. Incredibly, Schenn’s younger brother Brayden can reach 1,000 games played this very same season, marking what should be a big year for the Schenn family.
The number of players who could reach the milestone could be in the double-digits with notable names like Erik Johnson (now playing with the Philadelphia Flyers) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (now with the Toronto Maple Leafs) close behind Backlund.
Last season, the likes of Brad Marchand, Victor Hedman, and John Carlson reached the milestone of playing 1,000 games with the same team that drafted them. This year, Backlund and Cam Fowler are next up to join that much more exclusive club.
A year to remember
No one knows what this Flames team will do this year. From wild wins to gutting losses, the month of October has already seen the Flames go on a rollercoaster ride with plenty of highs and lows. There’s simply no telling where this team will end up by the time April rolls around and the uncertainty is honestly a little exciting.
However, the one certainty the Flames do have is the consistency and leadership of their captain, who’s really the backbone of this team. Congratulations, Backlund!
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
