Nicklas Bäckström has for many years suffered from injury problems. Primarily, it has been about a hip injury. In the summer of 2022, Bäckström underwent extensive hip surgery, which he then had difficulty coming back to top form after. In 2023, "Bäckis" took a break from hockey, last season he played nothing.
Now the star has signed with Brynäs, where former player Ove Molin is player developer.
He comes from a special situation, he will tell more about himself.
But I have seen him train during the summer, and he has been very much on the ice and prepared himself. He is in great shape, I would say. He is a guy who wants to play hockey, says Molin.
No special treatment
Bäckström, who returns after almost 20 years in the NHL, will be treated just like all other players.
He wants to blend in with the team and fit in. He is so experienced, he does not want special treatment, and he will not get it either, Molin emphasizes.
Molin announces that Bäckström will be ready to play for the SHL premiere at home against Växjö on September 13.
That a world star like Bäckström returns to Brynäs means a lot for both the club and Gävle as a city.
He, like many of the other guys who have been away and return, are big ambassadors for Brynäs. It shows that Brynäs is relevant.
Gävle has flourished again in recent years when it comes to hockey interest, and it will not decrease because Nicklas is coming home. He is one of the greatest in the club's history, says Molin.
"World star"
Former Brynäs player Andreas Dackell, who played with Bäckström at the beginning of the center's career, agrees.
It means that Brynäs means something. It's fun that players come back and want to help the club win, says Dackell, who thinks Bäckström's SHL comeback also means a lot for Swedish hockey.
It's a world star who comes home and plays his last years in the SHL and Sweden. Young people who have Nicklas as an idol get the chance to see him live.
Dackell believes that Bäckström will help the team with routine and assists.
He will contribute with wonderful leadership qualities, then he has a game sense beyond the normal, so he will set up a bunch of fine goals that he plays forward to.
