Wild signs G Backstrom to multi-year contract
June 1, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Minnesota Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed free agent goaltender Niklas Backstrom to a multi-year contract.
Backstrom, 28 (2/13/78), posted a 32-9-10 record with a 1.68 goals against average (GAA) and a .939 save percentage in 51 games with Karpat Oulu of the Finnish Elite League in 2005-06. He ranked first in the league in regular season GAA and second in save percentage. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound native of Helsinki, Finland was also a member of Finland's silver medal team at the 2006 Winter Olympics and Finland's bronze medal team at the 2006 IIHF World Hockey Championships, but did not see action in either tournament.
Backstrom backstopped Karpat to back-to-back Finnish League championship in 2004-05 and 2003-04. He posted a 27-10-10 regular season mark with a 2.17 GAA in 2004-05 and went 10-2 in the postseason collecting three shutouts and a 1.25 GAA. In 2003-04, Backstrom went 24-8-9 and ranked third in the League with a 2.03 GAA. He was named the 2003-04 Goalie of the Year and Playoff MVP after returning from a knee injury to post a 9-5 postseason record with a 2.33 GAA.
Backstrom appeared in five games with Finland at the 2005 IIHF World Hockey Championships and sported a 1-3-1 record with a 2.32 GAA, a .902 save percentage and one shutout.
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