Mikael Backlund wants to be a lifetime Calgary Flame: Friedman

The National Hockey League recently held their annual European Player Media Tour in scenic Milan, Italy – coincidentally the host of the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund was part of the media tour and, as part of that, he had coffee with Sportsnet’ Elliotte Friedman. In addition to noting how Backlund’s a bit of a coffee snob – this piece from Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson from October examines Backlund’s love of good Swedish coffee – Friedman provided a bit of a teaser on the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast from his chat with Backlund.

“…but I would say for the Calgary Flames fans, he said that, you know, he’s got a year left on his contract. He says he wants to continue to play after it’s over and he wants to be a lifetime Calgary Flame. That’s very clear. He would love to be a Flame forever and he did say that he wants to play in the new building. That is a goal of his. So he’s not looking to go anywhere. He’s proud to be a Flame. And he wants to play in the new building.”

(Friedman noted that the full interview will air on Sportsnet “sometime during the season.”)

Backlund’s current contract carries a $4.5 million cap hit and expires on July 1, 2026, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.

As 2025-26 training camp approaches, Backlund stands as (a) the Flames’ current captain, (b) the oldest player on the team at 36 years of age, (c) second all-time on the franchise’s games-played list and (d) the team’s most reliable two-way centre.

A first-round pick from the 2007 NHL Draft, Backlund became a full-time NHLer in 2010-11 and really found his stride as a 200-foot player coming out of the 2012-13 lockout. He’s received Selke Trophy votes in eight of the past nine seasons dating back to 2016-17. He’s sixth all-time in Flames history in goals and points (and seventh in assists), and is 153 appearances behind Jarome Iginla for the most games played with the Flames.

Last season, his 17th with the Flames and second as captain, Backlund posted 15 goals and 32 points in 76 games, playing primarily on a “tough minutes” line with Blake Coleman and a rotation of other wingers. Age might be catching up to Backlund a little bit – he battled through some injuries during the 2024-25 season – but he remains a really smart, skilled two-way player and a really important player for the Flames as they attempt to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2025-26.