David Backes

At 40 years old, David Backes has this physical status:

David Anthony Backes (born May 1, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He appeared for the St. Louis Blues before.

Backes was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but she grew up in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. Backes was ranked 62nd overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft after two seasons of junior hockey with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League.

Following his draft, he joined the Minnesota State Mavericks men's hockey team of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, playing three seasons in the college hockey ranks.

He spent his senior years with the Mavericks and joined the Peoria Rivermen, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

Backes was called up to the NHL and landed a roster spot with the Blues halfway through the 2006-07 season.

He was named team captain after his fifth season with St. Louis. Backes represents the United States around the world.

He is a two-time Olympian who gained silver at the 2010 Games in Vancouver and has competed in three IIHF World Championships.

Personal life

Backes and his partner Kelly have two children. Backes is a Christian.

Backes received his private pilot's license in 2012 and has flown several planes since. He graduated with an applied organizational studies degree with a nonprofit leadership concentration from Minnesota State University, Mankato, in 2014, and had previously trained to be an electrical engineer.

Backes has been a vocal advocate for animal rights since he was a youth and when he was struggling to get a break in the NBA, he has had dogs. He and his partner, Kelly, are very involved in animal rescue campaigns and pet adoption drives. They founded Athletes for Animals, an organization that raises money and awareness for rescuing and protecting homeless animals.

Six cattle that survived slaughter in north St. Louis were put under the custody of The Gentle Barn, an animal sanctuary with facilities in California and Tennessee, with David and Kelly assisting with the community-based GoFundMe campaigns for their liberation.

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Playing career

Backes played three seasons of prep hockey with Spring Lake Park High School in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, after graduating in 2002. He was named All-Conference, All-Metro, All-State, and a finalist for the 2002 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award as a senior. Travis Morin, a former college teammate of the Dallas Stars, was recruited to the Dallas Star Tribune's All-Metro First Team. Jarod Palmer, the future Minnesota Wild forward, was a member of his high school team. The school has cut him from the program, but he hangs at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota.

Backes was selected in the second round, 62nd overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, after spending two years in junior hockey with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. He spent three seasons of college hockey at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he was selected to the 2005-2006 Men's RBK Division I West All-America First Team and the 2005-06 Gymnastics The Magazine Academic All-America First Team was the subject of this article. He was signed by the Blues and assigned to the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL for the final 12 games of the 2005–06 season immediately after his third and final college season.

Backes was reassigned to the Rivermen following his first NHL training camp in September 2006, and stayed in the AHL for the 2006–07 season. Several months into the season, he was called up by the Blues and played his first NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 19, 2006. Backes scored his first NHL point, a second-assist on a Doug Weight goal, giving the Blues a 1–0 lead. St. Louis won the game 4–1, while Backes took the time to get 10 minutes of ice time. Backes scored his first NHL goal ten minutes and 47 seconds against the Los Angeles Kings two days later. The Blues won by 5–2 on a backhand shot past Kings goaltender Dan Cloutier, who was assisting in the Blues' 5–2 win. He was recalled by the Rivermen on January 21, 2007, for three days, a month into his first time with the Blues. He spent the remainder of the season with St. Louis, scoring 23 points (10 goals and 13 assists) in 49 games, while Peoria's 31 games saw 13 points (10 goals and three assists). Backes ranked 13th in points-per-game at 0.47 percent among NHL rookies who had played at least half of the season.

He played in 2007-08, his first full season in the NHL, winning by 31 points (13 goals and 18 assists). Backes, who was still a restricted free agent in the off-season, has signed a three-year, US$7.5 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, 2008. Backes in St. Louis continued to play well into the 2011–11 season, and the Blues matched the demand, retaining Backes in the 2010–11 season. Backes tallied 54 points, including a career-high 31 goals, in 2008–09, finishing second behind former Bruins winger Brad Boyes among the Blues scorers in second, with a new contract. For the first time in his career, he recorded 165 penalty minutes while playing in all 82 games. In a 5–4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on April 2, 2009, he scored a career-high four goals. For the first time since 2004, the Blues made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. In the first round of the Vancouver Canucks, the Blues were defeated in four games. In that time, backes had a goal and two assists.

In 79 games, the Backes' offensive output dropped to 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points. Backes took on the role of alternate captain for 2010–11, the last season of his contract, following Keith Tkachachuk's retirement in the off-season. Backes signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension on November 12, 2010, extending him with St. Louis through the 2015–16 season. He was named to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2011 while leading the Blues in scoring midway through the season. Backes was selected by Team Staal 33rd overall among 36 players as the NHL released a draft to choose the squads for the first year. In a losing cause, he had three assists when Team Lidstrom defeated 11-10. Backes finished the season with a personal record of 31 goals, as well as 31 assists for a career-high and team-leading 62 points in 82 games. Backes came within one point of leading the league in plus-minus with a +32 rating, behind Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chára.

Eric Brewer, the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, had been traded away from the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this season, leaving the position vacant for the remainder of the campaign. Backes was selected to replace Brewer in the off-season, becoming the 20th captain in team history. In 82 games played during the 2011–12 NHL season, he scored 24 goals to go with 30 assists.

Backes' 2015-16 season, with 21 goals and 24 assists, he will help the Blues win their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2001. He scored seven goals and seven assists in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Backes departed as a free agent after ten years with the Blues organization and as captain for the last five seasons. Backes and the Boston Bruins have agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract on July 1, 2016.

The Bruins scored 20,000 goals all-time in NHL play on November 22, 2016, dating back to 1924-25, when left winger Smokey Harris scored the Bruins' first goal, the St. Louis Blues, in a 4–2 home rink loss to his former team, the St. Louis Blues. The 20,000th goal plateau has only been beaten by one other NHL team—the Bruins' top rival—the Montreal Canadiens.

Backes had been diagnosed with diverticulitis virus and missed the first five games of the regular season but was able to play again on October 19, the night of a home game against the Vancouver Canucks. Nonetheless, a re-evaluation occurred shortly after, during Backes' most recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, revealing that an operation to repair a portion of his colon was carried out on November 2 with a forecast eight-week recovery time. Backes was suspended for three games on March 7, 2018, after a game against Detroit Red Wings player Frans Nielsen. Backes returned to the Lightning after an accidental injury to one knee in a March 17, 2018 Bruins road game, Yanni Gourde, and the Bruins needed 17 stitches to close the wound, and the Bruins needed to stay off the ice for it to heal. Backes was selected as the Bruins' nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is given to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey" ahead of his return from March 29.

Backes struck Blake Coleman, the head of the New Jersey Devils, on December 27, 2018. On the play, he was fined a minor penalty. Backes were suspended for three games on the following day. Backes forfeited $219,512.19 as a repeat offenders.

Backes will face the St. Louis Blues, the team he captained, in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. In seven games, the Bruins would eventually lose to the Blues. During Boston's run to the Finals, backes appeared in 15 games, tallying two goals and three assists.

In exchange for Ondej Kae, the Bruins traded Backes, prospect Axel Andersson, and a 2020 first-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks on February 21, 2020.

Backes played his final NHL game against his former club, the St. Louis Blues, on May 5, 2021, in which he received a standing ovation.

Backes officially resigned as a member of the team on September 9, 2021.

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