Nicklas Bäckström has struggled with injuries in recent seasons in Washington and when he now returns home to SHL, it's with a body that is finally ready for play. National team captain Sam Hallam is not closing any doors for the 37-year-old center.
It will be interesting to follow, says Hallam and continues:
The Olympic Games are far ahead. I will take it step by step. I just want to see that he is doing well, that he is on the ice and that he can play regularly to start with.
Have you talked to him?
No, I have not talked to him. He will find his place there and come in a bit, then we will definitely meet in the future.
”Best when it matters”
Bäckström played 1,247 NHL matches over nearly two decades, was credited with 1,120 points and won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018. Now he has signed with Brynäs for a season.
Defense star Erik Karlsson – who played with Bäckström during the Olympic Games 2012 – is positive about his friend's return to Tre Kronor.
It would of course have been very fun, he is a close friend and an incredibly good player, says the Pittsburgh defender. I'm glad he's back, can play again and feels physically good.
Will you try to persuade him to play in the Olympic Games?
I don't think you need to persuade him to play in the Olympic Games. He is one of those who has played before and he has shown that he is best when it matters.
Is it realistic to become relevant for the Olympic Games after such injury absence?
I absolutely believe so. He has proven over the years that he is one of the best we have.
”Does not grow on trees”
Even Tampa's star defender Victor Hedman, team captain in Tre Kronor during the Four Nations earlier this year, welcomes Nicklas Bäckström back to the national team.
He is one of the best we have produced in Swedish hockey, says Hedman. If he is healthy and delivers, I absolutely believe that he is a name for the Olympic Games. A player like him does not grow on trees.
The Olympic Games in Milano and Cortina will be held on February 6–22, 2026.
