Niklas Bäckström

This article is about the Finnish goaltender. For the Swedish forward, see Nicklas Bäckström.

Niklas Bäckström
Born	February 13, 1978 (1978-02-13) Helsinki, Finland
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team Former teams	Minnesota Wild SM-liiga HIFK SaiPa Kärpät Elitserien AIK
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1996–present

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Competitor for Finland
Winter Olympics
Silver	2006 Turin	Ice hockey
Bronze	2010 Vancouver	Tournament
World Championships
Bronze	2008 Quebec City	Ice hockey
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
Gold	1998 Finland	Ice hockey

Niklas Oskar Bäckström (born February 13, 1978) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has won both William M. Jennings Trophy and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. He also has won both Urpo Ylönen trophy and Jari Kurri trophy twice. Bäckström is a Swedish-speaking Finn.

Career

Niklas Bäckström won the 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a backup goaltender for the Finnish national team, along with players like Olli Jokinen, Niklas Hagman, Mika Noronen, Niko Kapanen, Toni Dahlman and Eero Somervuori. 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.

At 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 (GAA) and save percentage, while tying Dwayne Roloson's team record with five shutouts in just 36 starts.

Upon the trade of Fernandez in 2007, Bäckström became Minnesota's starting goaltender. He recorded 33 wins in the 2007–08 NHL season, and was the starter for Minnesota's first round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, which Colorado won in six games.

Though he was due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009, Bäckström signed a four-year, $24 million contract on March 3, 2009 to remain with the Wild. Despite Bäckström's 37 wins and strong goaltending, the Wild ultimately did not qualify for the playoffs in 2009. In that season, Bäckström was the second runner-up for the Vezina Trophy.

Awards

• 1997-98: Gold Medal, World Juniors (U-20) Championship
• 1997-98: Silver Medal, SM-liiga
• 2002-03: Silver Medal, SM-liiga
• 2003-04: All-Star Team, SM-liiga
• 2003-04: Urpo Ylönen trophy (Best Goaltender), SM-liiga
• 2003-04: Jari Kurri trophy (Best Player, Playoffs), SM-liiga
• 2003-04: Kanada-malja trophy, as a member of Kärpät, SM-liiga
• 2004-05: All-Star Team, SM-liiga
• 2004-05: Urpo Ylönen trophy (Best Goaltender), SM-liiga
• 2004-05: Jari Kurri trophy (Best Player, Playoffs), SM-liiga
• 2004-05: Kanada-malja trophy, as a member of Kärpät, SM-liiga
• 2005-06: Olympic Silver Medal, as a member of Team Finland
• 2005-06: Bronze Medal, SM-liiga
• 2005-06: Bronze Medal, World Championship, as a member of Team Finland
• 2006-07: William M. Jennings Trophy (best goals-against average), as a member of Minnesota Wild (shared with Manny Fernandez), NHL
• 2006-07: Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (best save percentage), NHL
• 2007-08: Bronze Medal, World Championship
• 2009-10: Olympic Bronze Medal, as a member of Team Finland

Minnesota Wild franchise records

• Most wins: 141 (as of completion of 2010-11 NHL season)
• Most wins in a season: 37 (2008–09)
• Most shutouts in a season: 8 (2008–09)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	OT	SO	GA	SA	SV%	GAA	MIN
1996–97	HIFK	SM-liiga		2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	.824	5.85	—
1997–98	HIFK	SM-liiga		3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	HIFK	SM-liiga		16	9	5	1	—	1	26	—	.932	1.69	—
1999–00	HIFK	SM-liiga		4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	.785	6.58	—
2000–01	SaiPa	SM-liiga		49	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	.924	2.55	—
2001–02	AIK	SEL		40	—	—	—	—	1	111	1,073	.897	3.05	2,186
2002–03	Kärpät	SM-liiga		36	16	8	9	—	4	77	1,080	.929	2.16	2,136
2003–04	Kärpät	SM-liiga		43	24	8	8	—	7	87	1,353	.936	2.03	2,572
2004–05	Kärpät	SM-liiga		47	27	10	10	—	7	102	1,387	.927	2.17	2,819
2005–06	Kärpät	SM-liiga		51	32	9	10	—	10	86	1,422	.940	1.68	3,077
2006–07	Minnesota Wild	NHL		41	23	8	—	6	5	73	1,028	.929	1.97	2,226
2007–08	Minnesota Wild	NHL		58	33	13	—	8	4	131	1,629	.920	2.31	3,408
2008–09	Minnesota Wild	NHL		71	37	24	—	8	8	159	2,059	.923	2.33	4,088
2009–10	Minnesota Wild	NHL		60	26	23	—	8	2	158	1,632	.903	2.72	3,489
2010–11	Minnesota Wild	NHL		51	22	23	—	5	3	158	1,566	.916	2.66	2,978
NHL totals				281	141	91	—	35	22	653	7,914	.917	2.42	16,190

International play

Tournament	Year		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
EHT	2004–05		3	2	0	1	180	7	1	2.23	.928
IHWC	2005		5	1	1	3	310	12	1	2.32	.902
EHT	2005–06		2	0	2	0	124	3	0	1.45	.956
Totals			10	3	3	4	614.	22	2	2.14	—

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