Ranking Flames’ Backlund’s Statistics Among NHL Captains

On Sept. 27, 2023, the Calgary Flames named Mikael Backlund as the team’s 21st captain. He remains the only Swedish-born captain in Flames history and was the first dressing room leader since Mark Giordano left in the 2021 Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

Moreover, at 34, Backlund became the fourth oldest player named to the captaincy, following Steve Smith (36), Dave Lowry (35), and Jean Pronovost (34).

However, in November 2024, Backlund set a record that no other Flames player may ever achieve: he is the only drafted player to skate in 1,000 games with the franchise.

Meanwhile, several other clubs named new captains while the Flames promoted Backlund. Those include the Boston Bruins (Brad Marchand), Philadelphia Flyers (Sean Couturier), St. Louis Blues (Brayden Schenn), Vancouver Canucks (Quinn Hughes), and Winnipeg Jets (Adam Lowry).

In 116 games as captain, Backlund has scored 21 goals with 34 assists for 55 points, the sixth-best point total of all Calgary players since the start of the 2023-24 season.

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Those totals are not bad from a team perspective, yet compared to other captains in the NHL, many are the offensive leaders of their respective clubs; we discover that Backlund’s rankings drop into the bottom half.

Before he became the Flames captain, 18 teams already had their captains in place, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins (Sidney Crosby), Washington Capitals (Alex Ovechkin), and Edmonton Oilers (Connor McDavid).

However, as mentioned before, six teams added captains to the list last season, bringing the total to 24 captains who have had their role for at least the past two seasons.

Here’s a breakdown of how Backlund stacks up against fellow leaders:

Historically, Backlund has found ice time in all situations, whether it’s even strength, on the power play, or shorthanded. Even though he’s never been known as a specialist on the man advantage, he’s scored 17 career shorthanded goals, which ranks second all-time behind only Theo Fleury (28).

So, despite not being the catalyst for Calgary’s offensive attack, Backlund’s value to the team goes far beyond the statistics on a game sheet. He may never score as many goals as McDavid or play close to half the game as many defensive captains do, but there’s one thing for sure.

When Ryan Huska taps his captain on their shoulder, Backlund hops over the boards and does his best to help the team win as a heart and soul guy, no matter the score or situation.

(Note: these totals do not include captains from the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, or Utah Hockey Club. However, they include the New York Rangers, as Jacob Trouba played parts of the last two seasons as captain.)