Niklas Bäckström
| Niklas Bäckström | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 13, 1978 Helsinki, Finland |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb) |
| Position | Goaltender |
| Catches | Right |
| NHL team Former teams |
Minnesota Wild SM-liiga HIFK SaiPa Kärpät Elitserien AIK |
| National team |  Finland |
| NHL Draft | Undrafted |
| Playing career | 1996–present |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Competitor for Finland
| ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
| Silver | 2006 Turin | |
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | |
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2008 Quebec City | |
| World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | ||
| Gold | 1998 Finland | |
Niklas Oskar Bäckström (born February 13, 1978) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has won both William M. Jennings Trophy and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award.[1] He also has won both Urpo Ylönen trophy and Jari Kurri trophy twice. Bäckström is a natively Swedish-speaking Finn, but also speaks Finnish.
Career
Professional
Bäckström won the 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a backup goaltender for the Finnish national team, along with players like Olli Jokinen, Niklas Hagman, Mika Noronen, Niko Kapanen, Toni Dahlman and Eero Somervuori. Bäckström was the third goaltender for Team Finland in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, but did not play any games. In the Finnish SM-liiga, he played for HIFK, SaiPa and Kärpät. Bäckström led Kärpät to two consecutive league titles in 2004 and 2005. Bäckström signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild of the NHL on June 1, 2006.[2]
At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Bäckström was the backup for the Wild's starting goaltender, Manny Fernandez. After Fernandez suffered a knee injury mid-season, Bäckström was forced into assuming the starter's position. He played exceptionally well over the second half of the season, finishing first in the NHL in both goals against average (GAA) and save percentage, while tying Dwayne Roloson's team record with five shutouts in just 36 starts.
Upon the trade of Fernandez to the Boston Bruins in 2007, Bäckström became Minnesota's starting goaltender. He recorded 33 wins in the 2007–08 season, and was the starter for Minnesota's first round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, which Colorado won in six games.
Though he was due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009, Bäckström signed a four-year, $24 million contract on March 3, 2009, to remain with the Wild.[3] Despite Bäckström's 37 wins and strong goaltending, the Wild ultimately did not qualify for the playoffs in 2009. In that season, Bäckström finished as the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's top goaltender. In 2012, Bäckström played very well in the first half the season, and the Wild had a chance to make the playoffs, but in the second half of the season, Bäckström slumped and with injuries, he could not lead the Wild into the playoffs.
NHL milestones
1st NHL Game: October 7, 2006, vs. the Nashville Predators (Wild 6–5 Predators) [4]
1st NHL Win: October 7, 2006, vs. Nashville Predators (Wild 6–5 Predators) [5]
1st NHL Shutout: November 24, 2006, vs. Phoenix Coyotes (Wild 4–0 Coyotes) [6] (7th career game)
Awards
- 1997–98: Gold Medal, World Juniors (U-20) Championship
- 1997–98: Silver Medal, SM-liiga
- 2002–03: Silver Medal, SM-liiga
- 2003–04: All-Star Team, SM-liiga
- 2003–04: Urpo Ylönen trophy (Best Goaltender), SM-liiga
- 2003–04: Jari Kurri trophy (Best Player, Playoffs), SM-liiga
- 2003–04: Kanada-malja trophy, as a member of Kärpät, SM-liiga
- 2004–05: All-Star Team, SM-liiga
- 2004–05: Urpo Ylönen trophy (Best Goaltender), SM-liiga
- 2004–05: Jari Kurri trophy (Best Player, Playoffs), SM-liiga
- 2004–05: Kanada-malja trophy, as a member of Kärpät, SM-liiga
- 2005–06: Olympic Silver Medal as a member of Team Finland
- 2005–06: Bronze Medal, SM-liiga
- 2005–06: Bronze Medal, World Championship, as a member of Team Finland
- 2006–07: William M. Jennings Trophy (best goals-against average), as a member of Minnesota Wild (shared with Manny Fernandez), NHL
- 2006–07: Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (best save percentage), NHL
- 2007–08: Bronze Medal, World Championship
- 2008-09: 2009 NHL All-Star
- 2008-09: Vezina Trophy Finalist, NHL
- 2009–10: Olympic Bronze Medal, as a member of Team Finland
Minnesota Wild franchise records
- Most wins: 184 (as of completion of 2012–13 NHL season)
- Most wins in a season: 37 (2008–09)
- Most shutouts in a season: 8 (2008–09)
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OT | SO | GA | SA | SV% | GAA | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | HIFK | SM-liiga | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | .824 | 5.85 | — |
| 1997–98 | HIFK | SM-liiga | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | HIFK | SM-liiga | 16 | 9 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 26 | — | .932 | 1.69 | — |
| 1999–00 | HIFK | SM-liiga | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | .785 | 6.58 | — |
| 2000–01 | SaiPa | SM-liiga | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | .924 | 2.55 | — |
| 2001–02 | AIK | SEL | 40 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 111 | 1,073 | .897 | 3.05 | 2,186 |
| 2002–03 | Kärpät | SM-liiga | 36 | 16 | 8 | 9 | — | 4 | 77 | 1,080 | .929 | 2.16 | 2,136 |
| 2003–04 | Kärpät | SM-liiga | 43 | 24 | 8 | 8 | — | 7 | 87 | 1,353 | .936 | 2.03 | 2,572 |
| 2004–05 | Kärpät | SM-liiga | 47 | 27 | 10 | 10 | — | 7 | 102 | 1,387 | .927 | 2.17 | 2,819 |
| 2005–06 | Kärpät | SM-liiga | 51 | 32 | 9 | 10 | — | 10 | 86 | 1,422 | .940 | 1.68 | 3,077 |
| 2006–07 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 41 | 23 | 8 | — | 6 | 5 | 73 | 1,028 | .929 | 1.97 | 2,226 |
| 2007–08 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 58 | 33 | 13 | — | 8 | 4 | 131 | 1,629 | .920 | 2.31 | 3,408 |
| 2008–09 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 71 | 37 | 24 | — | 8 | 8 | 159 | 2,059 | .923 | 2.33 | 4,088 |
| 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 60 | 26 | 23 | — | 8 | 2 | 158 | 1,632 | .903 | 2.72 | 3,489 |
| 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 51 | 22 | 23 | — | 5 | 3 | 158 | 1,566 | .916 | 2.66 | 2,978 |
| 2011–12 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 46 | 19 | 18 | — | 7 | 4 | 105 | 1,299 | .919 | 2.43 | 2,590 |
| 2012–13 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 41 | 24 | 15 | — | 3 | 2 | 98 | 1,072 | .909 | 2.48 | 1,072 |
| 2013–14 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 21 | 5 | 11 | — | 2 | 0 | 55 | 546 | .899 | 3.02 | 1,094 |
| NHL totals | 379 | 189 | 135 | — | 47 | 28 | 911 | 10,831 | .916 | 2.46 | 22,243 | ||
International play
| Tournament | Year | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EHT | 2004–05 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 180 | 7 | 1 | 2.23 | .928 |
| IHWC | 2005 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 310 | 12 | 1 | 2.32 | .902 |
| EHT | 2005–06 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 124 | 3 | 0 | 1.45 | .956 |
| Totals | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 614. | 22 | 2 | 2.14 | — | |
Notes and references
- ↑ http://www.hockeyworldblog.com/tag/roger-crozier-saving-grace-award/
- ↑ "Minnesota Wild – Team: Niklas Backstrom Official Player Page". National Hockey League. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
- ↑ Wild Signs Goalie Backstrom ESPN, March 3, 2009
- ↑ http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200610070MIN.html
- ↑ http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200610070MIN.html
- ↑ http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200611240MIN.html
External links
- Niklas Bäckström profile at Eurohockey.com
- Niklas Bäckström's player profile at NHL.com
- Niklas Bäckström's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Jussi Markkanen |
Winner of the Urpo Ylönen trophy 2003–04, 2004–05 |
Succeeded by Juuso Riksman |
| Preceded by Esa Pirnes |
Winner of the Jari Kurri trophy 2003–04, 2004–05 |
Succeeded by Miika Wiikman |
| Preceded by Miikka Kiprusoff |
Winner of the Jennings Trophy 2007 (with Manny Fernandez) |
Succeeded by Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek |
| Preceded by Cristobal Huet |
Winner of the Crozier Award 2007 |
Succeeded by Final winner |