Nicklas Bäckström facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicklas Bäckström
Bäckström with the Washington Capitals in February 2022
Born	(1987-11-23) 23 November 1987 (age 37) Valbo, Sweden
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Washington Capitals Brynäs IF Dynamo Moscow
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	4th overall, 2006 Washington Capitals
Playing career	2004–present

Nicklas Bäckström (born 23 November 1987) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He plays as a centre and is an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals picked Bäckström fourth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He started playing in the NHL the next year.

Bäckström is known for being a super skilled passer. He is one of the best playmakers in the league. Starting in the 2013–14 season, he had six years in a row with 50 or more assists. Only 26 players in history have done this! He now has the most assists ever for the Washington Capitals. He is also second in total points for the team, right behind his teammate Alexander Ovechkin. Bäckström and the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018. They beat the Vegas Golden Knights to win the championship. On March 9, 2022, he reached 1,000 career points.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Bäckström grew up in Valbo, Sweden. His dad, Anders, was also a professional ice hockey player. He won a championship with Brynäs before retiring. Nicklas's mom played handball in Finland and Sweden.

Nicklas's dad said that Nicklas started skating when he was only two years old. He used skates that belonged to his older brother, Kristoffer. By the time Nicklas was three, his dad said he could skate all by himself! The ice rink in Valbo where he learned to play hockey is now called Nickback Arena. When he was young, Bäckström focused on thinking smart during games. He said, "I'm not a fast skater, but when I was younger I always wanted to be a smart player." He worked on trying to understand what his opponents would do.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting His Hockey Journey

When he was 15, Bäckström began his junior hockey career. This was in the 2002–03 season. He played for Brynäs IF in the J20 SuperElit league. After playing there for parts of three seasons, he scored 34 points in 29 games in his final year. He had 17 goals and 17 assists.

Then, he was called up to play for Brynäs's main team. This team played in the Elitserien, which is Sweden's top pro league. Many NHL players came to play in this league because of the 2004–05 NHL lockout. This made the competition much tougher. Bäckström did not score any points in his first season there.

In his second season, 2005–06, Bäckström played much better. He scored 26 points (10 goals and 16 assists) in 46 games. He also scored a goal in four playoff games. He quickly became a top player and a first-line centre for his team. He was named the Elitserien Rookie of the Year. He also won the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year award. He won this award twice! Other famous players like Peter Forsberg and Henrik Lundqvist also won this award.

After his great season, the Washington Capitals picked Bäckström fourth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. But on July 10, 2006, he said he would wait one more year before moving to the NHL. His draft spot made him the fourth-highest drafted Swedish player at that time. Only Mats Sundin, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin were picked higher.

In his third and last season with Brynäs, 2006–07, Bäckström kept getting better. He scored 40 points (12 goals and 28 assists) even though he played one less game. He also did well in the playoffs, getting six points in seven games.

Lindsay Czarniak interviews Bäckström when he signed with the Capitals in May 2007

Joining the Washington Capitals

First Years in Washington (2007–2010)

On May 21, 2007, Bäckström signed a three-year contract with the Capitals. He was ready to play in the 2007–08 season. Many experts thought he was one of the most talented Swedish young players in a long time. People compared him to Peter Forsberg. He was known for seeing the ice well, passing, and keeping the puck. Because of this, he was expected to be a key player on the team's power play. His good defense and puck handling also made him valuable when the team was short-handed.

On October 5, 2007, he got his first NHL point. It was an assist on a goal by fellow Swede Michael Nylander. This happened in a game against the Atlanta Thrashers. Bäckström played well early in his first season. He was still getting used to the smaller ice rinks in North America. But his season got much better when an injury to Michael Nylander moved him to Washington's first line. Playing with Alexander Ovechkin, Bäckström helped Ovechkin win two major awards.

Bäckström finished his first season with 69 points (14 goals and 55 assists). He had three goals and 22 assists on the power play. He was the runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the league's best rookie. Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks won the award that year. Even though he didn't win, Bäckström was named to the All-Rookie Team.

Bäckström with the Capitals in January 2009

In his second NHL season, 2008–09, Bäckström led the Capitals and all Swedish NHL players with 66 assists. He also scored 22 goals, for a total of 88 points. This put him in the top ten scorers in the NHL that year. Bäckström also played great in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He scored 15 points in 14 games. The Capitals lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who later won the Stanley Cup.

After the 2009 playoffs, Bäckström won the Viking Award. This award goes to the best Swedish-born player in the NHL. He was only the second Capitals player to ever win this award.

At the end of the 2009–10 regular season, Bäckström was fourth in NHL scoring with 101 points. He was behind Henrik Sedin, Sidney Crosby, and his teammate Alexander Ovechkin. Bäckström scored his first career playoff hat-trick against the Montreal Canadiens. This included the winning goal in overtime! The Capitals ended up losing that series in seven games. On May 17, after the season, Bäckström signed a big ten-year contract with the team.

Becoming a Star and Winning the Stanley Cup (2010–2018)

At the end of the 2010–11 season, Bäckström scored 65 points. This was his lowest point total in the NHL so far.

On April 17, 2012, Bäckström was suspended for one game. This was for a cross-check to the head of Boston Bruins player Rich Peverley.

Bäckström in October 2012. He played with Dynamo Moscow during the 2012–13 NHL lockout.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Bäckström played for Dynamo Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He signed with the Russian team on October 18, 2012. His teammate Alexander Ovechkin also played there during the lockout. He was first given jersey number 99. But he asked for a different number out of respect for Wayne Gretzky. So, the team gave him number 69. Bäckström later returned to the NHL. He finished third in the league with 40 assists during the shorter 2012–13 season.

During the 2014–15 season, on December 13, 2014, Bäckström scored his first regular season NHL hat-trick. This happened in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. On March 15, 2015, he became the Capitals' all-time leader in assists. He passed both Alexander Ovechkin and Michal Pivoňka by getting two assists in that game. Bäckström finished the season leading the NHL with 60 assists. He assisted on 33 of Ovechkin's 53 goals, which was the most in the league. Bäckström also finished the year with 78 points, the sixth-best in the NHL. On May 27, Bäckström had hip surgery. The Capitals hoped he would be fully recovered for the 2015–16 season. In that season, he scored 20 goals and 50 assists. The Capitals were the best team overall in the regular season. Bäckström was also chosen for his first All-Star Game.

Bäckström warming up with the Capitals in April 2016.

In the 2017–18 season, Bäckström had 50 assists. He was third on his team. In the 2018 playoffs, he had 10 assists. He played with a hand injury that kept him out of the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Capitals announced he would be back for Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He left during Game 5 and missed the Game 6 win.

Recent Years and Injuries (2018–Present)

Bäckström getting ready for a shot against Marc-André Fleury in October 2018

Bäckström reached and passed 600 assists on October 23, 2018. This happened in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. He became the 87th player in NHL history to reach this many assists. A special event was held for Bäckström on November 7, 2018, before a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was to celebrate his 600 career assists. In a 4–1 win against the New York Islanders on November 26, Bäckström had three assists. This moved him to second place on the Capitals' all-time points list, passing Peter Bondra. In his next game, on November 30, against the New Jersey Devils, Bäckström scored his second regular season hat-trick. On December 11, Bäckström had his 12th game with four assists. This tied him with Gilbert Perreault for eighth in NHL history.

On January 14, 2020, the Capitals signed Bäckström to a new five-year contract.

Bäckström reached 700 career assists on March 5, 2021. This happened in a game against the Boston Bruins. He assisted on a goal by Jakub Vrána. This assist made him only the third active NHL player with 700 assists. The others were Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby.

Bäckström scored his 1,000th career point on March 9, 2022. It was an assist to T. J. Oshie against the Edmonton Oilers. He became only the second player in Capitals history to reach 1,000 points, after Ovechkin.

On June 18, 2022, it was announced that Bäckström had surgery on his left hip. He was expected to miss the start of the next season. He came back on January 8, 2023. He played in 39 of the team's last 40 games. Sadly, his return was not enough to help the team make the playoffs. This was only the second time they missed the playoffs since 2007.

Before the 2023–24 season, Bäckström felt good about his hip. He thought he would be 100 percent ready. But after eight games, he told the team his hip wasn't feeling right. He decided to take a break from playing hockey.

International Play

Bäckström with the Swedish men's national hockey team during the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Men's ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Silver	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Gold	2006 Riga
Gold	2017 Germany/France
World U18 Championships
Bronze	2005 Plzeň

Bäckström played his first game for Sweden on April 6, 2006. It was against Norway. He won the World Championship when he played for Sweden in the 2006 World Championship. He was the youngest Swedish player ever in a World Championship tournament at that time. Bäckström played the last four games in the tournament. He was put directly on the first line with famous players like Henrik Zetterberg.

Bäckström led Sweden in the 2010 Winter Olympics. He had six points in four games. Sweden was then knocked out by Slovakia.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, a test showed a substance from Bäckström's allergy medicine that wasn't allowed. Because of this, he couldn't play in the final game. His silver medal was held back until the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided what to do. On March 14, 2014, the IOC decided that Bäckström would get his silver medal. They confirmed he couldn't play in the final. But in November 2014, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed this decision. In January 2015, Bäckström, the IOC, WADA, and the IIHF agreed. He accepted a warning, but it was decided he wasn't trying to cheat to play better.

Personal Life

Nicklas Bäckström's father, Anders, was a Swedish hockey player. He played for Brynäs IF for ten seasons. Nicklas's mother, Catrin Bäckström, was born in Finland. She played handball in Sweden and Finland in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Nicklas's older brother, Kristoffer, also played professional hockey.

Bäckström and his wife, Liza Berg, have three children. They have two daughters and one son. The family lives in Arlington, Virginia, during the hockey season. Bäckström loves soccer and is a big fan of Arsenal F.C..

Nicklas Bäckström is sometimes confused with another NHL player, former goalie Niklas Bäckström. Their names are very similar, but they are not related. Nicklas Bäckström is from Sweden, while Niklas Bäckström is from Finland.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Bold means he led the league in that stat

International Games

Awards and Honors

Bäckström played in the 2016 NHL All Star Game and led the league in assists in 2015.

• Bäckström received the Honorary Ambassador Award on November 28, 2018. This award is given to a person who is a good role model for young people. Queen Silvia of Sweden was there for the event.

Records and Achievements

• Youngest Swedish player ever in the World Championship (18 years and 6 months old).
• First NHL rookie to get four assists in two games in a row.
• Most assists in a season by a rookie for the Washington Capitals (56 assists) in the 2007–08 season.
• Most assists in the Washington Capitals team history with 722.

See also

• List of NHL players with 100-point seasons
• List of NHL players with 1,000 points
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played