Backstrom Steps Away from the Game

For the better part of the last decade and a half, Caps’ center Nicklas Backstrom has been a fixture in the middle of the ice for Washington. He has been a dependable two-way center and power play performer, a prolific passer and playmaker, a competitor whose fire burns quietly but intensely, and a rock of a leader in the room. But the last couple of seasons have taken a toll on Backstrom, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Ahead of Wednesday morning’s Caps practice, the team issued a press release announcing that Backstrom has decided to “step away from the game.”

The Caps’ press release included statements from both Backstrom and Caps’ president and GM Brian MacLellan.

“Given my ongoing injury situation,” begins Backstrom, “I decided to take some time and step away from the game. This is a difficult decision, but one that I feel is right for my health at this time. I want to thank my teammates, the organization, and fans for their unwavering support throughout this process. I ask for privacy at this time as I determine my next steps and viable options moving forward.”

Backstrom, who celebrates his 36^th birthday later this month, has spent much of the last two seasons rehabbing an ailing hip. He led the team in scoring in 2020-21, totaling 53 points (15 goals and 38 assists) in 55 games during the pandemic-abbreviated 56-game regular season. In the two plus seasons since, Backstrom has gamely and doggedly battled his way through a chronic hip ailment, spending the summer of 2021 resting and rehabbing the ailment, and the then spending the summer of ’22 recovering from hip surgery.

Over the last three seasons – including the first eight games of this one – Backstrom has collected 53 points (13 goals and 40 assists), the same number he totaled to lead the team in 2020-21. But those 53 points came over a stretch of 94 games. On Oct. 18 in Ottawa, Backstrom skated in his 1,100^th career NHL game, doing so at the site of his first NHL goal (Nov. 9, 2007 vs. the late Ray Emery). Backstrom is one of just eight active players with at least 1,000 games played in the League and 1,000 or more points, and he is one of just 92 such players in NHL history.

“I’ve been in the League a long time, that’s for sure,” said Backstrom on that morning in Ottawa last month. “I’m very honored to be representing the Caps for this many years, and playing all of them with the same team, it’s very fortunate.”

He has appeared in each of the Caps’ first eight games this season, totaling one assist while averaging 14:34 in ice time, the lowest ice time figure of his 17 seasons in the NHL. Over the course of a remarkably consistent and successful NHL career here in Washington, Backstrom has set high standards for his performance on the ice, and he has reached the realization that in his current health situation, he isn’t able to meet that standard.

“We stand behind Nicklas and will support him throughout this process,” begins MacLellan’s statement. “We know first-hand how hard he has worked and how determined he is to get back to full health. Our organization stands fully behind him while he takes his leave of absence from the team and takes time to evaluate his current health situation.”

Prior to Wednesday’s practice, Backstrom addressed his teammates and updated them on his status. Caps’ coach Spencer Carbery addressed the team after practice as well, and Carbery and the Caps spoke lovingly and eloquently of Backstrom once practice was finished.

“Pretty emotional and difficult to watch,” was Carbery’s assessment of Backstrom’s address to his teammates this morning. “Because you just felt all the emotion from all his teammates, and him, just telling them in a real heartfelt way, that you can tell he wants to be there for them right now and to be battling through, but he just physically can’t right now. And when you see someone describing that to their brothers, it tugs at your heart. You know how much it means to him, and how much his teammates mean to him. It was difficult.”

“To be honest with you,” says Caps’ captain Alex Ovechkin, “I was in shock when I heard it today. He’s my friend and he’s my teammate. To see how emotional he is, it’s a tough situation.”

“As a teammate, it was tough to hear,” says Caps’ right wing T.J. Oshie. “It was obviously a hard thing for him to do. Nick’s an insane, large piece of this organization. First and foremost, we’re happy that he’s focusing on getting back to full health. But as a teammate, it’s hard to watch a guy announce something like that, because I’ve seen how hard he’s worked to get back – and not just from one surgery, it’s been multiple. He’s been working super hard to come back, and to play the game that he loves again. So it’s been a pretty emotional morning.”

Backstrom will not be made available to the media; injured players are typically off limits to the media as they undergo treatment or go through rehab for their injuries. MacLellan would normally address the media in a situation such as this, but he is currently under the weather, so that press conference will take place early Friday afternoon following the completion of Washington’s practice that morning.

The mood and tone at practice today was extremely somber and unlike anything most of us can recall over our time here.

“You can tell by the feeling,” says Caps defenseman John Carlson. “It’s a little odd. Even as time goes on, it’s going to be odd. It’s going to be odd tomorrow, coming here. It’s different when guys get hurt, and they are in and out of the locker room. That stuff is normal. But you can notice the different feeling, and it’s certainly not an easy thing for any of us.”

A natural center man, Connor McMichael is expected to move from left wing to Backstrom’s slot in the middle of Washington’s third line. For now, the Caps will place Backstrom on injured reserve, but no corresponding roster move is expected. Washington recalled center Hendrix Lapierre before Sunday’s game with San Jose, and Lapierre will remain with the club and will man the middle of the fourth line while center Nic Dowd continues to work his way back from an upper body ailment that has sidelined him for the last couple of weeks.