Backlund in elite company with fifth season playing 82 games for Flames

Article content

The list of Calgary Flames who have played 82 games in a season five times is not long.

Currently, it is a list of exactly one person.

Article content

Jarome Iginla played nine times in every regular season game for the Flames, but no one else has done it more than four times.

On Thursday night, Mikael Backlund will change that.

For the third straight season and fifth time overall, the Flames captain will skate in all 82 games this year.

Article content

“I take pride in playing as many games as possible and at the end of your career you appreciate it more and understand its meaning,” Backlund said this week. “Being out of the playoffs has been my main goal. Obviously, win games, but also finish the year with all the games.”

Assuming they play in Thursday’s regular season finale against the San Jose Sharks, four players will finish the year having played every game for the Flames. Backlund is joined on that list by Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar and Yegor Sharangovich.

When you consider the physical toll it takes on the body to play 82 games of hockey over a seven-month period, the ability to be available every night is remarkable.

“You don’t play every game and try to play every game without figuring things out,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said. “Mikael is probably in better shape than everyone in our team and nowadays everyone is in shape, it’s not like it used to be.

“He’s the leader in that department and there’s a reason he’s able to stay in a position where he can play every game.”

Article content

Article content

That starts with fitness, of course. You’ll hear time and time again from the Flames that Backlund stays in phenomenal shape and does all the little things off the court, both during the season and off, to keep his body functioning at the highest level possible.

As his young teammate Matthew Coronato marveled when asked about Backlund, the Flames captain is “as professional as it gets.”

However, getting to that point took time.

Backlund didn’t play 82 games in a season until his sixth year in the league, but if we don’t include COVID-interrupted seasons, he has played at least 81 games in six of his last seven years.

It seems to have improved with age.

“At first I had some injuries and I had to learn to train the right way, maybe the amount is not always the best,” Backlund said. “Part of it was bad luck with injuries (I missed 15 games with a broken pinkie in training camp, there’s not much you can do about that), but over the years I learned how my body works more and more. and how to train more efficiently. summer.

Article content

“I think throughout the season I’ve done a good job taking care of my body in training and taking care of myself off the court.”

MANAIGAPANE FOR KING CLANCY

Andrew Mangiapane is the Flames’ nominee for the 2024 King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

That’s a big deal and says a lot about Mangiapane’s efforts to contribute to the Calgary community off the track. The annual award is given to the player “who best exemplifies his leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a notable humanitarian contribution to his community.”

Mangiapane is a regular at community events organized by the team and this year founded Mange’s Breadsticks with his fiancée, Claudia. The community hockey program is based at Calgary youth centres. With support from the Flames Foundation and the Calgary Italian Open, he has helped mentor and create opportunities for a group of young, aspiring hockey enthusiasts to experience the game.

They also partnered with Italian Center Shop to create a unique loaf of bread that was available for purchase in the store. For every loaf sold, a meal kit was given to Calgary Youth Centres.

Four Flames have previously won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy: Lanny McDonald in 1988, Joe Nieuwendyk in 1995, Jarome Iginla in 2004 and Mikael Backlund last year.

[email protected]

X: @DannyAustin_9

Article content