LAS VEGAS — For a while, Mikael Backlund didn’t even have anyone in the Flames dressing room to speak Swedish with.
That’s changed with the arrival of countryman Victor Olofsson last month, but the Calgary captain is looking forward to going up against fellow Swede - and good friend - Rasmus Andersson tonight, when the Flames continue this season-long six-game road trip against the Golden Knights.
It’s the first meeting between the two teams since General Managers Craig Conroy and Kelly McCrimmon completed a five-piece deal that saw Andersson fly south in exchange for Zach Whitecloud, Abram Wiebe and a pair of draft picks.
And if Backlund knows anything about his buddy and longtime Calgary teammate, it’s that the on-ice chatter will be at another level once the puck hits the playing surface.
“He's gonna have some fun with it for sure,” Backlund said of the verbose Andersson. “It’s gonna be weird, obviously, but it's exciting to get to play against him, too, though.
“Hopefully I can score when he's on the ice.”
“He'll probably chirp our bench or something,” Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska added when asked about squaring off against Andersson for the first time. “He’s a special player to a lot of us, right? He's been around our organization for a long period of time.
“I wish him nothing but the best, except for tonight.”
But for Backlund, this three-night stay in Sin City has afforded him the opportunity to catch up with his old friend and his family. Andersson hosted Backlund for a visit Tuesday and the pair were part of a Calgary-oriented dinner gathering last night as well.
The same has rung true for Whitecloud this week. He got the chance to meet up with some of his former Vegas teammates during this stop on the six-game trip, and Backlund figures tonight will be a special night for his new alternate captain.
“It’s exciting to come back for him, and to be part of his return here; it's for sure going to be a special night for him,” said Backlund. “It’s one thing to play against a former team on the road, but to come back into the building and where he won the Stanley Cup, it's gonna be, I'm sure, an emotional night for him.”
But as for whether Backlund will return the favour tonight, when those inevitable barbs come flying from No. 4 in gold?
“I'm mic’d up (tonight),” Backlund smiled.
“So I gotta come up with something.”
