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Mikael Backlund had a front-row seat as considered one of his former teammates — his predecessor, in actual fact, as captain of the Calgary Flames — captured one of many NHL’s marquee particular person awards in his mid-30s.
He watched from afar as considered one of his favorite athletes loved an prolonged run as one of many prime soccer strikers on the planet, persevering with to kick his approach into the report books when he was presupposed to be a fading star.
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Backlund, now 35 and sharing the ice at Flames coaching camp with a number of youngsters who’re barely half his age, is making an attempt to comply with that lead.
“You have a look at Gio (Mark Giordano) successful the Norris Trophy at 35 … He’s at all times been a job mannequin for me that approach that he actually peaked above his 30s, within the second half of his profession,” Backlund stated. “After which considered one of my greatest idols is Zlatan Ibrahimovic and identical factor, he performed till he was 40 and was nonetheless taking part in so properly. He was in unbelievable form and an incredible soccer participant and he was at his greatest after 30s, too.
“He stated he simply by no means aged, you recognize? So I type of look as much as him that approach.”
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Age finally catches up with each skilled athlete, however some do handle to stave off the slow-down, to delay any drop-off and to extend their prime.
Like Giordano did. The grizzled defenceman was the oldest skater within the league final season, though he has but to land a contract for this coming marketing campaign.
Like Ibrahimovic did. He’s Sweden’s all-time main scorer in worldwide soccer motion, together with an iconic bicycle kick that you simply nonetheless need to see to consider. Towards the top of his membership profession, Ibrahimovic made historical past because the oldest dude to ever notch a objective in Italy’s Serie A.
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“You simply know that, round 30s, your profession can go each methods,” Backlund stated. “You understand it’s simpler to get injured and it’s tougher in your physique to play if you get above 30. Everyone is completely different, however that’s type of if you begin to consider it and when individuals are speaking about it just a little bit.
“Within the sports activities world, 30 is that quantity the place you begin to really feel such as you’re not younger anymore.”
Backlund shouldn’t be a child anymore and there will probably be fixed reminders of that over the subsequent few weeks as he tracks towards a milestone second. If all goes in line with plan, he’ll skate in his 1,000th profession NHL recreation in late October.
It will mark Backlund’s fifteenth season with the Flames, the franchise that made him their first-round decide in 2007. The headliners in Calgary’s newest draft class — defenceman Zayne Parekh and winger Matvei Gridin — have been born in 2006.
The spectacular factor is whereas Backlund checked in for coaching camp because the oldest man on the roster, he additionally checked in because the fittest. He topped the charts within the annual testing outcomes.
“That, to me, says a ton about him and his management potential and his willingness to proceed 12 months after 12 months to maintain that grind up,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska stated in reward of the captain.
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“Clearly, on the ice is what issues essentially the most, however I take a variety of satisfaction in that and put a variety of work in each summer season,” stated Backlund, who was the runner-up final fall for the ‘Fittest Flame’ title. “I’ve at all times pushed myself to grow to be higher. So to have the ability to win it, it makes you’re feeling good. It’s like just a little pat on the shoulder, that you simply did a superb job throughout the summer season and that age doesn’t matter and you continue to can enhance on issues.
“I really feel happy with myself to be up there, no matter my age. Now being the captain too, it feels good that I can present the correct approach.”
That final half shouldn’t be missed.
Whereas Backlund averaged 19:14 per night time throughout the 2023-24 marketing campaign, the heaviest workload of his profession, the Flames sometime might want to exchange No. 11 as their shutdown centre and a first-over-the-boards penalty-killer. Positive, he’ll do his darnedest to energy this present crew to what can be a shock playoff berth within the spring of 2025 — they’re, to their credit score, an ideal 3-0 in exhibition motion to this point — however there isn’t a assure that he’ll nonetheless be round for the light-at-the-end-tunnel part.
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He’s decided, nevertheless, to play a few of his greatest hockey of his profession at 35 and past. He factors to his pal Gio and his idol Ibrahimovic as sources of inspiration. He realizes their endurance wasn’t any kind of fluke.
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“I see a extremely pushed man proper now,” Huska stated of Backlund, who collected a pair of assists within the house half of Monday’s split-squad sweep of the Edmonton Oilers. “And I do know since he bought the ‘C’ on his chest final 12 months, he takes issues personally, whether or not that be his play or how the workforce is taking part in. I believe that simply offers him that rather more push from behind to make it possible for he’s doing every part he can presumably do to set the correct instance for our workforce. And I believe that’s actually what it has come all the way down to.
“He understands the place he’s career-wise. I imply, he’s not saying he has 10 years, or something like that, left. So I believe he feels what he does on the ice and away from the ice actually issues as a result of he is aware of that it units the correct instance for lots of people.
“I believe that’s a part of the legacy that he desires to go away.”
ICE CHIPS: The Flames loved a time off on Tuesday. They’ll proceed their exhibition slate Wednesday, sending a squad to Abbotsford, B.C., for a conflict with the Vancouver Canucks.
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