*Photo from NHLPA.com*
Someone is sticking around, and with a new honor. The Calgary Flames have signed center Mikael Backlund to a two year contract extension and have named him the franchise's next captain, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The Flames have confirmed the signing.
Backlund said of being named captain that "This is a very special day for my family and I. Calgary is our home and to know that we will continue my playing career here is important to us. As well, the possibility to play my 1,000th game and celebrate it with our fans and the community is significant to me. I'm as equally proud to be named the captain of this historic franchise. I’m ready for the responsibility that goes with wearing the 'C' and I'm surrounded by a strong leadership group in our locker room that will help us take the next step toward winning the Stanley Cup."
Entering this season, Backlund will play out the final year of his current contract. He'll make $5.3 million in 2023-2024 with a 10 team no trade list. The extension has a $4.5 million AAV and is worth $9 million total. He'll be a UFA after the 2025-2026 season.
The Flames have made Backlund the 21st captain in franchise history, and the first official captain since Mark Giordano was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. They had been riding with only alternate captains for the previous two seasons.
Calgary GM Craig Conroy said of Backlund that "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. We look forward to his continued leadership on the ice, in the locker room and in our community."
Backlund played his 15th season with the Flames in 2022-2023. He put up 19 goals and 37 assists for 56 points, posting a +24 rating while averaging 18:10 of ice time over 82 games for the Flames, who missed the playoffs.
This summer, Backlund was one of a chorus of Flames players entering the final year of their contracts. Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Chris Tanev are all extension eligible this offseason.
All 15 of Backlund's NHL seasons have been with the Flames after being a 2007 first round pick. He has amassed 185 goals and 307 assists, averaging 17:00 of ice time with a +66 rating in 908 regular season games. Backlund has an additional 12 goals and 10 assists with a -5 rating over 42 playoff games.
With Backlund becoming the Flames new captain, the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, and Seattle Kraken are the 5 remaining teams without a captain.
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