SAY WHAT: 'NEVER STOP BELIEVING'

MIKAEL BACKLUND ON HIS 800TH CAREER GAME:

ON THE JOURNEY TO GET HERE:

"Just never stop believing in yourself and just work hard. It's kind of what I've been doing. When I got drafted, I never expected to still be here. It's a tough league that way. There's a business side to it and a lot of things can happen. Early on in my career, there were rumours and I didn't get off to... I had a pretty decent rookie year, but after that, there were a few years where I didn't play the way I wanted. There are always going to be rumours when you don't perform. But yeah, it feels really special being here still."

ON HIGHS & LOWS WITH THE FLAMES:

"(This season) brings me back a little bit to '18-19. I feel like, now, we have a more experienced group, especially a more experienced playoff group. At the time, we didn't really have that experience for the playoffs like we have now. Going down the stretch here, going into the playoffs, we're excited about the group. '18-19, we were having a great year, too, and I was - of course - excited about the playoffs then, too, but it's a different feeling now. Also, it's now the second time we're having a season like this, so we know how to prepare for the last push here and the playoffs, being on top of the division and being one of the top teams in the conference."

Stay tuned for the full feature, as Brendan Parker goes 1-on-1 with Backlund to talk about the milestone, setting roots and growing a family here in Calgary

DARRYL SUTTER ON BACKLUND'S MILESTONE:

"Usually, you're fortunate to play that long with one team. Guys that win championships do that. He's a good pro, well-trained, stayed healthy. Hopefully he gets to win a championship.
"He's a good all-around player. That's what he is. He's got a really good hockey IQ and sense for it. And he's good at his detail."