Niklas Bäckström

Niklas Oskar Bäckström, born 13 February 1978, is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who now works as the goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Over ten NHL seasons with the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames, he earned the William M. Jennings Trophy and the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. He also won the Urpo Ylönen trophy and the Jari Kurri trophy twice. Bäckström is a Swedish-speaking Finn who also speaks Finnish.

His playing career began in Finland, where he was a backup goaltender for the national team that won the 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, alongside players like Olli Jokinen and Niklas Hagman. He served as Finland’s third goaltender at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin but did not play. In the Finnish SM-liiga, he played for HIFK, SaiPa, and Kärpät, leading Kärpät to consecutive league titles in 2004 and 2005. On 1 June 2006, he signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild.

After attending training camp and playing exhibition games, Bäckström made his NHL debut on 7 October 2006, relieving starter Manny Fernandez and earning a 6–5 win over the Nashville Predators. Initially the backup, he became the main starter after Fernandez injured his knee on 30 January. Bäckström posted an 8–2–1 record over 11 games, earned NHL First Star of the Week honors, and finished the season leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage, winning the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. He also shared the William M. Jennings Trophy with Fernandez for allowing the fewest goals. In the 2007 playoffs, Bäckström made 28 saves for his first playoff win, though the Wild lost the series to the Anaheim Ducks.

Before the 2007–08 season, the Wild traded Fernandez and signed Bäckström to a two-year, $6.2 million extension, making him the starter. He started strong with four straight wins, was named to the NHL All-Star ballot, and set a franchise record with his 31st win on 28 March. He finished the regular season with a 33–13–8 record, a 2.31 goals-against average, and a .920 save percentage, leading the Wild to their first Northwest Division title. However, the Wild lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. In the final year of his contract, Bäckström returned to the Wild.