'Part Of Something Special'

One day out from the first on-ice sessions of Flames main camp, Mikael Backlund is eager to retain his title as the fittest Flame.

The last few veterans were set to undergo testing Wednesday, just as Backlund was putting pen to paper on a brand-new, two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Flames through the summer of 2028.

In the city that first embraced him 18 years ago, that he and his family have in turn embraced as home.

“We're so excited as a family, we're thrilled to stay here,” Backlund said, standing on the Flames home bench Wednesday morning. “It's been a great ride, and we're so proud to be Calgarians and I'm proud to be a Calgary Flame.

“So we're very thankful we got this deal done.”

Backlund was entering the final year of his current deal, and as he looked across the ice, the 36-year-old surveyed his Scotiabank Saddledome surroundings.

With a new contract in tow, he’ll now be part of the building’s final season - as well as the transition to Scotia Place - when the new home of the Flames opens its doors two years from now.

“It's going to be special playing two more years here, but it’s going to be weird to say goodbye to this place,” he reflected. “It's going to be emotional for sure that day. And I'm really excited for a new chapter for the city and for the whole organization to get that new building, it's going to be amazing.

“So I'm really excited that I'm going to be part of it, and that the management and owners believe in me to be good enough in two years to be part of it.”

And when that shiny, new building opens its doors, Backlund will be at the front of the pack, leading the next generation of Flames into battle.

That group already includes the likes of MacKenzie Weegar, Dustin Wolf and Matt Coronato locked in on long-term deals, and if last week’s NextGen Showcase was any indication, there’s no shortage of talent in the pipeline, too.

But in a summer that’s already seen Coronato, Wolf, and others such as Connor Zary and Kevin Bahl extend their terms in Calgary, Backlund is more than happy to add his name to the list.

“I think it's great, I'm super excited to see all those guys sign,” said the Flames captain. “And, like I said before, we need those guys to step up and keep building: they're unbelievable guys, so I believe in them.

“I think we have a really good team here, and I’m excited that we have the same group as last year. We had a really close team, a close group that played for each other, that battled every night, and that's what we need this year too. We need a strong bond to keep pushing us forward.”

The new deal also has statistical ramifications.

Backlund is in the top 10 among franchise leaders in most offensive categories, but one club record - held by a club legend - is within reach: Jarome Iginla’s career mark of 1,219 games played in the Flaming C.

Backlund comes into the new season 153 games short of that mark, and while becoming Calgary’s all-time games played leader has certainly piqued his curiosity, the prospect of playing his entire career for one team, in a city he and his family call home, was top of mind.

“Getting drafted by Calgary in 2007, I never thought of that, so to be that close, of course it crossed my mind,” Backlund said of Iginla’s appearances record. “But more importantly, we just wanted to stay here and be part of this next chapter for this team.

“I see a bright future here and I want to make the playoffs here with the team, and to just wear the Flames jersey, the only team (I’ve played) for meant so much to me, it's a bonus that I have a chance to potentially beat Jarome's record.”

A captain through and through, both on the ice and in the community.

Backlund and his wife, Frida, have long been community leaders through their charitable work. He was honoured by the NHL with the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2023 and recently, he and Frida were presented with the Gaudreau Family Pet Legacy Award for their work in the community with Parachutes for Pets.

The honour came as a bit of a surprise, Backlund admitted, but he was happy, too, to re-connect with Guy and Jane Gaudreau, who flew to Calgary earlier this month to present the Backlunds with the award.

“It meant a lot. It was very emotional, came out of nowhere,” he said. “We knew they were coming to Calgary, I just knew they were coming to the (Parachutes for Pets) Gala, but I never thought that there were for me and Frida, so it was a very emotional and special moment, and we’re very thankful to receive that award from them.

“They're genuine people that we care a lot about and I'm just thankful that they came out to Calgary and got to see them again.”

As Backlund and his family prepare for their 18th NHL season, there’s a sense of anticipation.

Both for the immediate future - and a group that came ever so close to a post-season berth last spring - but also for the longer term.

New beginnings, a new home ice, a team on the rise.

All things that Backlund wants to see first-hand, with his own eyes.

“To be part of something special here was really exciting for me and for my family,” he said. “We’re just so thankful to be Calgarians and to be part of the community.”