If you look back at the history of the Calgary Flames, it’s kind of funny which players became hugely important to the club’s culture and success.

Sure, the club’s had many high-end draft choices. Yeah, they’ve made some big trades that landed them some impressive players. And sure, they’ve managed to cash in on some late round gambles, too. But while Vasteras, Sweden’s Mikael Backlund probably won’t go down with the likes of Jarome Iginla, Lanny McDonald or Miikka Kiprusoff in terms of franchise icons that won major awards or trophies and defined Flames greatness, it can be argued that Backlund’s “very good” play is complimented by how important he’s been to the club during his tenure.

On Wednesday evening in Salt Lake City, Utah, Backlund will play his 1,000th National Hockey League regular season game. He’ll be the 397th player overall to complete that feat – 19th from Sweden, ninth from the 2007 NHL Draft, and second to play all 1,000 games as a member of the Flames.

As we tip our caps to Backlund for this accomplishment, let’s delve into the things that make him so truly important to the Flames – on and off the ice.

Today, Backlund is a truly important part of the Flames. But it took him awhile to become the Mikael Backlund that Flames fans know these days. His early seasons of pro hockey saw him deal with injuries, inconsistency, and the general learning curve of the NHL. In Sweden and junior hockey, Backlund could use his talent alone to excel; he had to learn how to use his other attributes, and it took a little while.

Drafted out of Sweden in 2007, Backlund made a one-game NHL debut in 2008-09; while representing Sweden at the World Juniors the Flames managed to get him out of his Swedish contract, so he was en route to join the Western League’s Kelowna Rockets when he was pressed into service as a last-minute injury replacement for Todd Bertuzzi. (He went on to win a WHL championship with Kelowna.)

Going pro in 2009-10, Backlund played his way into a full-time NHL gig by 2010-11, but he primarily played in the bottom six, buried in his own end, with the team’s lesser lights. His play would often earn him bigger opportunities, but often bad injury luck would hamper his upward mobility – he infamously broke his hand prior to the start of the 2011-12 season after spending all of training camp being groomed to be Iginla’s centre.

The 2012-13 lockout was a turning point for Backlund. He spent the work stoppage with his hometown team playing against other NHLers on loan to that league – notably Anze Kopitar – and he returned after the lockout ended with a lot of confidence, which translated to increased effectiveness on the ice as he was more adept at engaging at key moments. He’s since been an indispensable part of the Flames’ attack.

Backlund has played for seven of the Flames’ 19 coaches and under five of their nine GMs. He’s had to constantly grind and prove himself under new regimes – constantly making an argument that he’s someone that should be kept around rather than traded – and he’s carved out a heck of a career for himself during that process. But it didn’t happen overnight, and his ascent is a prime example of some prospects taking awhile to reach their potential.

So here’s the thing about having a Mikael Backlund on your team: he touches a lot of the game, and in doing so he opens up a lot of opportunities for the club’s less well-rounded players. Backlund is a superb 200-foot player who skates well, forechecks well, and uses a combination of strong positioning and puck movement to make life challenging for the other team’s top players. He kills penalties, he works the second power play unit, and he’s first over the boards in tough game situations. He’s not a physical player by any stretch, but the sheer amount of pace in his game causes the opposition to rush themselves and make mistakes.

Backlund came back from the 2012-13 lockout with some swagger and he was highly effective in shutting down top opponents, but he really seemed to unlock the final piece of his game – adding scoring to that mix – in 2015-16. He began receiving Selke Trophy votes the following season, landing fourth among all vote-getters, but he’s appeared on ballots seven times in the past eight seasons. He’s built a sterling reputation as a strong two-way forward, but also one that’s an offensive threat, too.

Backlund is a smart player that does the hard things well. He’s a player that makes his linemates better, and his strong play opens up time, space, and easier match-ups for everybody else on the Flames.

In June 2023, Backlund became the fourth Flames player to receive the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, honouring a player who combines leadership and humanitarian contributions. For those who spend any time in Calgary, it’s not a huge surprise given how prominent both Backlund and his wife, Frida, are in local causes.

Among the causes the Backlunds have championed over the years:

The last one is emblematic of who Backlund is as a person: he and his wife had leftover food from the family lounge at the ‘Dome packaged up after home games and dropped it off at a shelter on their way home. They were doing that for awhile before anybody really noticed they were doing it and at the time Backlund seemed a bit surprised at the positive attention he received from it.

During some of the most challenging years for the Flames franchise, Backlund has been a role model for the Flames on and off the ice. While other players may have more goals or points, very few have had the positive impact on the team or community that Backlund has.

Game 1: Jan. 8, 2009 vs. NY Islanders

Game 100: Nov. 15, 2011 vs. Ottawa

Game 200: Dec. 12, 2013 vs. Carolina

Game 300: Oct. 10, 2015 at Vancouver

Game 400: Nov. 20, 2016 at Detroit

Game 500: Dec. 31, 2017 vs. Chicago

Game 600: Feb. 22, 2019 vs. Anaheim

Game 700: Feb. 4, 2021 at Winnipeg

Game 800: Mar. 8, 2022 vs. Washington

Game 900: Mar. 25, 2023 vs. San Jose

Game 1,000: Oct. 30, 2024 at Utah