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CHL Colorado Eagles

Ralph Backstrom Honored by NHLPA

October 23, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


WINDSOR, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles announced today that the organization's founder, Ralph Backstrom, has been honored by the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) for his long and distinguished career in the sport of hockey.

Backstrom has received a NHLPA jersey with his name and number (6) accompanied by a signed letter from the association. The letter reads, in part, "...on behalf of the entire NHLPA membership and NHLPA staff, we wanted to offer our congratulations...NHL Players are very pleased to join the rest of the hockey community in thanking you for your many contributions to the sport. We hope you enjoy this token of the Players' appreciation for all of your great accomplishments both on and off the ice..."

During his 53-year career in hockey, Backstrom played on six Stanley Cup winning teams, captained the 1958 Memorial Cup winning Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens (being voted the best junior player in the country by the media), won the Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the Year with the Montreal Canadiens in 1959, earned World Hockey Association All-Star honors four times, MVP honors for Team Canada in the Canada Cup Series vs. the Soviet Union in 1974, was named NCAA Division 1 National Coach of the Year in 1986, coached for 15 years in at the NCAA and professional level, co-founded Roller Hockey International and won two CHL championships as the President/GM of the Colorado Eagles before retiring in the summer of 2007.

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