It has been an eventful last week or so for Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund. He played in his 1,000th career NHL game last week and the Flames held an incredible ceremony for him to celebrate this huge accomplishment.
Backlund has no doubt been an integral part of the Flames for well over a decade at this point and he has become a huge part of the city as a whole with everything he has done for the city and the organization off the ice. Since playing in the milestone game, there has been a debate on whether the Flames will hang #11 to the rafters when Backlund’s career comes to a close. I think there is certainly a case for him getting one of the greatest honours a player could get in their career, so let’s dive into to see if Backlund could have his number retired one day.
Comparing Backlund to the four other Flames with retired numbers
The Flames currently have four players’ numbers hanging in the rafters of the Scotiabank Saddledome. Those being: Lanny McDonald’s #9, Jarome Iginla’s #12, Mike Vernon’s #30 and Miikka Kiprusoff’s #34. Now those are four guys who are legends not only in Calgary but in hockey as a whole. McDonald, Iginla and Vernon were all inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and Kiprusoff was one of the best and most dominant goaltenders of an entire era.
Backlund doesn’t exactly have that type of resume, there have certainly been players who have come through the organization over the years that have had much more efficient careers than Backlund like Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan just to name a few. However, none of those guys had the longevity in the organization that Backlund does. He has played the most seasons in franchise history and was named the captain.
When comparing Backlund to the four players who do have their jerseys retired, it does become difficult to make a case that he should also have his number retired one day by the Flames. It is pretty cut and dry—those guys were superstars, Backlund has been a middle-six forward his entire career (albeit a very good one at that), so it is not exactly easy to compare him to the rest.
Making the case to have Backlund’s number sent to the rafters
I think when you look at Backlund’s career as a whole (to this point) and what he has done both on and off the ice for the Flames, there is however a legit case that he should have his jersey retired one day.
As I mentioned above, I think longevity is a major thing to look at when it comes to Backlund’s case. He has been playing for the Flames for 17 seasons and became only the second player in franchise history to play 1,000 games all with the Flames. That is not something that should be taken for granted. Many players have left the team over the years, very important players made the decision that they did not want to be Calgary Flames for a variety of reasons. Backlund could have done the same thing and left for greener pastures when the opportunity presented itself, but he didn’t, he stayed because he wanted to be in Calgary and at this point, it would not surprise me in the slightest if he finishes his career as a Flame.
Backlund’s play on the ice relative to his role on the team has also been superb for years. He has been tasked with being the team’s premier shutdown centre, which is no easy feat with all the top-end talent in the league today. We have seen so many times throughout Backlund’s career that he has frustrated opponents to no end with how he plays the game on the defensive side of the puck. He has been one of the league’s best shutdown centres for a while now, and having to do that for 82 games a year is not easy, he might be one of the best two-way forwards to ever play for the Calgary Flames.
Backlund has also been a mentor to many young players making their way into the NHL and has taken many players under his wing, helping them become great players in this league. I don’t think there is a better example to choose from than what he did with Matthew Tkachuk when he arrived as a rookie. Backlund and Tkachuk were practically glued together for five seasons dominating the ice every time they were out there.
Now you look at the player Tkachuk has turned into and you cannot help to see some of Backlund in his game. Now you look at the Flames today and you have him playing with Connor Zary and Matt Coronato, two highly profiled players the Flames will be hoping become stars for them. I think it is extremely hard to look at what Backlund has done over the years and not be impressed.
This is all not to mention that Backlund is about a half-point-per-game player over his career, which again is no small feat to achieve. He has never put up god-like numbers in a single season, but he has been very consistent from season to season. Once again, all of this comes primarily while playing in a major shutdown role.
Should Backlund have his number retired?
Now, is all of this enough to warrant Backlund getting his number retired? His resume is strong, and he has done a lot of very good for the Flames on the ice, despite never reaching past the second round of the playoffs. He has done everything the Flames have asked for him on the ice. There was even once a time when many thought Backlund would be playing his career out in Europe if he couldn’t keep up with the play style of the NHL. However, he persevered to get to where he is today.
There is also everything he has done off the ice. The work in the community, how he has represented the Flames, how he has represented everyone who has ever dawned the Flaming C. That is important because he will be remembered for how he treated everyone who ever crossed paths with him in the city.
At the end of the day, I love Backlund, I have loved the player and the person for a long time, and if it were up to me, I think he has done more than enough to see his number raised and never wore again once his career comes to a close. He may not have the accolades of the others who have their numbers hanging, but he has done so much for a fanbase that has gone through so many emotions over the years. I think he deserves it, and only time will tell if the Flames feel that way about Backlund too.
