I’ve followed the draft for a long time. I didn’t hate the Backlund pick at the time, but I didn’t love it. I was wrong, I love this man. What a great player and great human. We got so lucky having Backs as our guy and our captain. Not quite good enough to get 11 retired, but Flames fans will love this guy forever
The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to sch19lks For This Useful Post:
If Backlund finds a way to play productive hockey in calgary for 3/4 more years and breaks Iggy's all time games played record (which will likely put him 4th on the scoring list) then I think his number should be retired
I know usually retired numbers are based on flashy high end performance and he's been just a solid journeyman but a guy playing for 19 seasons with the same team ending as the captain for 4 or 5 mentoring in a new generation through a rebuild - that's a strong case in my books.
Father time is against him now, probably plays out his contract and retires in two years after 17 seasons, 2nd in games played and 6th in scoring and ends up in the forever ring or whatever the heck they call it just missing out. The difference for me is if he gets past Iggy on games played.
The Following User Says Thank You to Matty81 For This Useful Post:
Definitely won't get anywhere near enough scoring to have his number retired, and also the Forever a Flame thing is pretty much abandoned now isn't it?
We got so lucky having Backs as our guy and our captain. Not quite good enough to get 11 retired, but Flames fans will love this guy forever
If Backs somehow captained us to a cup then yeah retire 11 all day, but that not being the case, a great career player like him with decent, though not outstanding offensive production, that's exactly what the Forever a Flame program should have been for, and then it would have meant something too. Guys like Conroy would be ideal as well.
I think you retire Backs number. He's won a few awards and really epitomized being a Calgary Flame and the work he's done in the community.
Sure he's not as flashy of a player but he's done a lot for the Flames.
Disagree completely and I love Backs. Retired numbers are for major scoring and winning accomplishments. If you retired Backs, every team would have 2/3rd line players retired based on longevity/community work.
It's a much higher bar and that is not a shot at Backlund in the slightest.
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to jayswin For This Useful Post:
Yeah like I've been a huge Backlund fan since before he made the NHL, but seriously, if you retire his number, what about Joel Otto? Robyn Regehr? Craig Conroy? Gary Roberts? You have to draw the line somewhere.
Personally, I don't think there's any unretired number (at least not yet) that should go before Al MacInnis.
Yeah like I've been a huge Backlund fan since before he made the NHL, but seriously, if you retire his number, what about Joel Otto? Robyn Regehr? Craig Conroy? Gary Roberts? You have to draw the line somewhere.
Personally, I don't think there's any unretired number (at least not yet) that should go before Al MacInnis.
Maybe not a jersey retirement, but players like Regehr and Backlund have to be publicly honored by CSEC in some way...whether its through the forever a flame program or some other method.
Otherwise, what's the incentive (besides money) for good players to stay associated with the Flames long-term if they're not building a legacy?
Also, Lanny, Patterson, Vernon, Otto, Peplinski, and other old-timers are already up there in age and there's not many young, long-term, and local alumni with name cache to carry the torch for continued community outreach and Flames brand awareness.
Kiprusoff played 9 years with the Flames, didn't really win anything substantial and got his number retired.
I think Backlund will get some recognition by the Flames when he finishes his career.
On the same token, how about Giordano when he call it quits, likely very soon?
That is pretty dismissive of Kiprusoff. Like I said it comes down to winning and stats to get into the hall. Obviously the Flames didn't win the Cup, he did however set the modern day NHL record for GA and held that for nearly a decade, runner up for two vezinas and won it in 2006.
He was one of the best modern day goalies, it would be silly and asinine to compare him to Backlund and say "see, just two players that didn't win anything substantial, if you retire his number why not Backlund?"
Hockey Stars in Cars - Mikael Backlund
