Niklas Bäckström
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008) |
 |
|
| Position | Goaltender |
| Catches | Left |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 196 lb (89 kg/14 st 0 lb) |
| NHL Team F. teams |
Minnesota Wild HIFK SaiPa Kärpät |
| Nationality |  Finland |
| Born | February 13, 1978 , Helsinki, Finland |
| Pro career | 2006 (NHL) – present |
Niklas Oskar Bäckström (born February 13, 1978 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Bäckström was the third goaltender for Team Finland in the 2006 Winter Olympics, but did not play any games. In the Finnish SM-liiga he played for HIFK, SaiPa and Kärpät. Bäckström led Kärpät to two consecutive league titles in 2004 and 2005. Bäckström signed a one-year contract with the Wild on June 1, 2006.
In the beginning of the 2006–2007 season, Bäckström was the backup for the Wild's starting goaltender, Manny Fernandez. Fernandez suffered a knee injury mid-season and Bäckström was forced into the starting position. Bäckström played exceptionally over the second half of the season, finishing first in the league in both goals against average and save percentage, while tying Dwayne Roloson's team record with five shutouts in just 36 starts.
He has re-signed with the Wild for multiple years.
[edit] Awards
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's ice hockey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 2006 Turin | Team | |
- Jari Kurri trophy for best player of the SM-liiga playoffs - 2004 & 2005
- Urpo Ylönen trophy for best goaltender of the SM-liiga regular season - 2004 & 2005
- William M. Jennings Trophy - 2007 (together with Manny Fernandez)
- Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award - 2007
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] NHL
| Year | Team | GP | MIN | W | L | T | OT | GA | SA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Minnesota | 41 | 2,226 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 73 | 1,028 | 5 | 1.97 | .929 |
| 2007–08 | Minnesota | 58 | 3,408 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 131 | 1,629 | 4 | 2.31 | .920 |
[edit] International play
| Tournament | Year | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro Hockey Tour | 2004–05 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 180.48 | 7 | 1 | 2.23 | .9278 |
| IHWC | 2005 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 310 | 12 | 1 | 2.32 | .9024 |
| Euro Hockey Tour | 2005–06 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 124.0 | 3 | 0 | 1.45 | .9559 |
| Totals | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 614.48 | 22 | 2 | 2.14 | -- | |
[edit] External links
- Niklas Bäckström – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net
- Niklas Bäckström's NHL player profile
- Niklas Bäckström's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Jussi Markkanen |
Winner of the Urpo Ylönen trophy 2003–04, 2004–05 |
Succeeded by Juuso Riksman |
| Preceded by Esa Pirnes |
Winner of the Jari Kurri trophy 2003–04, 2004–05 |
Succeeded by Miika Wiikman |
| Preceded by Miikka Kiprusoff |
Winner of the Jennings Trophy 2007 (with Manny Fernandez) |
Succeeded by Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek |
| Preceded by Cristobal Huet |
Winner of the Crozier Award 2007 |
Succeeded by Dan Ellis |
