Way back on June 22, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio, the Calgary Flames selected Swedish forward Mikael Backlund at 24th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft.

Way back on Jan. 8, 2009, Backlund made his National Hockey League debut at home, playing 10:44 in a 5-2 Flames victory over the New York Islanders.

During the 2026-27 season, roughly 19 years and change since he was drafted by the Flames and 18 years and change since he made his first NHL appearance, Backlund will surpass Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla as the player who has appeared in the most regular season games in Flames franchise history

And it could occur during a very eventful week for Backlund.

Heading into the season, Backlund has played 1,148 regular season games for the Flames. Iginla concluded his tenure with the Flames with 1,219 games with the club. The 71st game Backlund plays in 2026-27 will tie him with Iginla. The 72nd game Backlund plays will surpass him.

The 71st game of the regular season is scheduled for Mar. 13 in Boston. The 72nd game is scheduled for Mar. 15 in Calgary against Nashville. And Backlund’s 38th birthday will be on Mar. 17, on a day where the Flames host the Dallas Stars.

A product of Vasteras, Sweden, Backlund took awhile to reach his potential as an NHLer. He had to battle through injuries and developmental stops and starts before finding his footing as an NHLer. But the patience paid off, and Backlund has become one of the more consistent and respected two-way players in the NHL over the past decade. He’s received Selke Trophy votes from the Professional Hockey Writers Association in nine of the past 10 seasons, finishing fourth in balloting in 2016-17.

In addition to currently sitting second all-time in games played, Backlund is also fifth in goals, sixth in assists and sixth in points. He’s three points behind the late Johnny Gaudreau for fifth in points (and 10 points behind Joe Nieuwendyk for fourth).

Backlund was named Flames captain prior to the 2023-24 season, following Mark Giordano’s departure in the 2021 expansion draft (and two seasons without a captain). He signed a two-year contract extension prior to the 2025-26 season which will keep him wearing a Flames jersey through the 2027-28 campaign, the first season in Scotia Place.

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