Mikael Backlund kept doing what he’s done for years: showing up, producing, and giving the Flames a veteran anchor in a season that went sideways.
Last season, Calgary’s captain played all 82 games and finished with 17 goals and 43 points. That made it his most productive year since he posted 19 goals and 56 points in 82 games in 2022-23, and it marked the seventh time he’s hit the 40-point plateau.
Two of Backlund’s goals made the Flames’ end-of-season top goals list, and the second one checked in at No. 4.
It came Jan. 15 against the Chicago Blackhawks, when Calgary was already deep into a lost season and the focus had shifted to developing younger players over the final months. Still, the game-winning moment belonged to the captain, not one of the kids.
The game was tied 1-1 six minutes into the first period when Chicago tried to work its way into the zone. Backlund stripped the puck off the Blackhawks player’s stick, and that quickly turned into a breakaway. By the time he reached the hashmarks, with about 10 feet between him and the backtracking defender, Backlund sold a shot, got the goalie to commit, then slid left and lifted the puck into the net for his 12th goal of the year and his second point of the night.
Matt Coronato added an empty-net goal with 61 seconds left, his 13th of the season, and Calgary finished off the win. It was the first of two straight victories before the Flames dropped into a 2-7-1 skid that effectively ended the season.
Backlund was 37 by the end of the year, but he still finished tied for second on the team in points and fifth in goals. The season was rough, and the road ahead won’t be easy either, but a steady veteran like Backlund matters when a team is trying to build its next core.
In Other News...
Scotia Place Is Finally Starting To Look Like The Flames New Home
Scotia Place is starting to look less like a long-term construction site and more like the Flames future home, with visible progress now showing up across the buildings steel framing, exterior envelope work and roof structure. Different corners of the project are moving at different speeds, but the overall picture is the same: the arena is taking shape, and the surrounding pieces, including the parkade and the ESSO Community Rink area, are beginning to fit into place.
The timeline still matters as much as the steel. The building is expected to be turned over to Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation in summer 2027, ahead of the 2027-28 NHL season, and there is still plenty of work to do before fans ever walk through the doors. Once the structure is fully enclosed, the focus shifts inside, where the finishing work will begin and the last stage of the project will finally come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Why Aydar Suniev Suddenly Feels Like A Real Flames Option
Aydar Suniev is starting to look like more than a long-shot prospect for Calgary. Drafted 80th overall in 2023, he has already spent time with the Calgary Wranglers and even gotten a taste of NHL action, enough to put him on the radar as a player whose skill set is beginning to translate against pro competition.
What makes Suniev interesting now is the range of outcomes still attached to him. The Flames see enough upside to keep tracking him closely, but his path still appears to run through more AHL reps with the Wranglers, and he may need another season or two before he is ready to settle in as a full-time NHL regular. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Pipeline Could Take Center Stage At The 2027 World Juniors
The Flames prospect system has quietly become one of the more interesting parts of Craig Conroys rebuild, and the 2027 World Junior Championship could be where a lot of that work becomes impossible to ignore. Calgary has stockpiled young talent across multiple countries, with players like Cole Reschny and Carson Carels in the mix for Canada and Cullen Potter and Ethan Wyttenbach expected to be part of the U.S. conversation, giving the organization a rare chance to see several of its best prospects on a big international stage at the same time.
For Flames fans, that tournament may also serve as an early look at how far the pipeline has come, especially for players who have not yet been seen much in meaningful game action. The list does not stop there, either, with names such as Chase Harrington, Jack Hextall, Mace'o Phillips and Theo Stockselius adding to the sense that Calgarys future could be well represented when the junior spotlight arrives, even if the exact shape of those roles is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]