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David Backes News & Rumors

Backes is finalist for Selke Trophy
April 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues forward David Backes is one of three finalists for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward. Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit and Patrice Bergeron of Boston are the other finalists. "It's quite an honor to be up for any award," Backes said after practice Monday. "I think we're the most proud here that we went about a team-first mentality, we worried about getting team success. When we have that success, the individual accolades tend to follow after that. It's definitely an honor. I'm the one that's going but I've played almost every shift this year with guys like T.J. Oshie, Alex Steen, David Perron, and those guys deserve a lot of credit. I'm honored and humbled but our work here"
Backes, Bergeron and Datsyuk named Selke finalists
April 23
NHL.com
 
"The truly elite players are the ones who can play -- and excel -- in any situation. The ones who are used not only when their team needs a goal, but also when it needs to prevent a goal. The St. Louis Blues' David Backes, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings are just those kind of players, and for that reason they have been named as finalists for this year's Frank J. Selke Trophy, an annual award given "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game." The winner is selected by a vote of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, and will be announced at the 2012 NHL Awards Show, June 20 at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las"
Backes doesn't have a fracture, but may miss time
March 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues seem to be dodging bullets lately. First, Andy McDonald was back on the ice almost immediately after sustaining a serious shoulder injury in Thursday's 2-0 loss to Carolina. Now, David Backes is expected to be on the club's three-game West Coast road trip after blocking a shot with his left foot and leaving in the second period of Saturday's 3-1 win over Tampa Bay. The Blues return to the ice Wednesday in Anaheim. Backes may not play at the start of the trip, putting his streak of 185 consecutive games in jeopardy, but he doesn't have a fracture and the fact that he's traveling is a good sign. "It's day-to-day, week-to-week," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "It's all based on"
Captain Backes leads the way for Blues
February 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"David Backes has experienced a lot during his time in St. Louis. He has never experienced a more successful stretch of hockey. The Blues have to win 13 of their final 33 games to become the winningest team Backes has played with since he donned the Note in 2006-07. Isn't it funny how that works? Last summer there was angst over who should replace Eric Brewer as the Blues' captain. Many favored emerging young quarterback Alex Pietrangelo for the role. Others thought two-way standout Alex Steen might wear the "C" well. Some pointed to Barret Jackman, while still others wondered if incoming veterans Jamie Langenbrunner or Jason Arnott might be the best choice. All are deserving of"
Backes has 2 goals, 2 assists as Blues win
January 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"A few games ago, the Blues traded in their "Hard hat of the game" for the "Weenie hat." Several players had won it recently, but none dared to wear it in their postgame television interview. Until Saturday. After a four-point night that lifted the Blues to a 4-2 victory over Buffalo, David Backes was wearing a hot dog in a bun on top of his head in the locker room. "I'm the weenie of the game," Backes proclaimed. "Other guys are supposed to be doing their interviews in it when they win it. The heart and soul guys, instead of wearing hard hats, they wanted weenie of the game, so this is what we go with. "We've been doing it for maybe six, seven, eight games here ... apparently the weenie of"
Backes takes leadership mantle
December 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When Ken Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne as the coach of the Blues on Nov. 6, he was looking for help. The Blues didn't need a new voice in the room, they needed a familiar voice to translate a new message. Hitchcock would have to lean on the coaching staff that was in place to implement it. But if the transition was going to be swift and significant, he needed leaders in the dressing room to manage his 200-foot mantra. He needed David Backes. The Blues have come about under Hitchcock, improving from a 6-7-0 start to a more emphatic 17-9-3. They have points in 14 of 16 games, a 11-2-3 mark since the coaching change and a marvelous 11-3-1 record at home. Not coincidentally, their new captain"
Is Perron's return to Blues' lineup imminent?
December 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"What could be better for Blues fans than a four-game winning streak and the third-most points in the Western Conference? How about the return of David Perron? It's possible but not certain that Perron, who has not played a game with the Blues in 14 months due to post-concussion syndrome, could be on the ice as soon as Saturday night when the club hosts Chicago at Scottrade Center."
Backes' goal keeps Blues rolling
November 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"T.J. Oshie's behind-the-back pass to David Backes for a power-play goal, which proved to be the game-winner in the Blues' 2-1 victory Sunday, was executed well enough that Columbus goalie Curtis Sanford believed it to be a set play. But that hardly was the case. "I told 'Osh' after we got back to the bench that I was going to the slot waiting for a rebound or something," Backes said. "But he made a great pass right on my tape and fooled everyone in the building. A good way to break our oh-fer streak on the power play and hopefully that leads to more success." The Blues' "oh-fer" streak had reached 22 power-play chances without a goal, but the unit's contribution Sunday helped the team win"
Backes back on ice, expects to play in Vancouver
October 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues captain David Backes isn't sure he suffered a concussion Saturday after being hit by Philadelphia's Chris Pronger, but he acknowledged today he had symptoms. Backes made significant progress Sunday and was back at practice today, after which he declared himself ready to play Wednesday in Vancouver. He says he's glad he stayed out of the game for precautionary reasons. "In those situations, NHL culture typically has you push through there and fight through anything," Backes said. " With something that's with your head or with your neck or something that potentially could have lasting effects, spend that time to recover. Make sure you're evaluated properly, give yourself the rest of"
David Backes making progress
October 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues forward David Backes was making progress Sunday after suffering an upper-body injury Saturday night in Philadelphia. Backes was injured in the second period of the Blues' 4-2 win, when he collided with Flyers defenseman and former Blue Chris Pronger. Backes appeared to hit his head on the ice when he landed."
Backes injured as Blues outduel Flyers 4-2
October 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues left Philadelphia with a 4-2 victory Saturday night, but they also left with another injured player. In a collision involving two big bodies, captain David Backes met former Blue Chris Pronger shoulder to shoulder and was knocked to the ice, appearing to bang his head on impact. After the second-period injury, Backes did not return and for now it is being labeled an upper-body injury. He was not wearing any sort of apparatus on his shoulder afterward. The loss of Backes took some pleasure out of the completion of back-to-back wins over the Flyers and Carolina, which evened the Blues' record at .500 before they travel to Vancouver to play Wednesday. "Definitely tough," Blues"
Backes the perfect fit for captain's role
October 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The baseball Cardinals have not had a "captain" in the clubhouse since Ken Boyer carried the distinction in the early 1960s. The NFL Rams have three captains, a separation of powers that seems as constitutional as it is purposeful. Hockey is a different animal. Every NHL team has a captain, a solitary figure who wears the "C" prominently on his jersey. It may seem trivial to outside observers, a practice that lost its relevancy with escalated salaries and unrestricted movement. Blues defenseman Barret Jackman understands the cynicism, and he's not about to suggest the naming of a captain is crucial to a season's outcome. What Jackman does suggest is the office of captaincy is still"
Blues to address captaincy at start of camp
August 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues say they'll address their vacancy at captain at the start of training camp, which begins Sept. 16. The "C" became available when the Blues traded defenseman Eric Brewer to the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Ever since, general manager Doug Armstrong has said that he doesn't know if the Blues will name one captain, or choose a group of players to wear the "A's" Armstrong echoed those same comments today, as the Blues' brass held a preseason media gathering at the team's practice facility. If the club names one captain, the candidates could come from a pool that includes David Backes, Alex Steen or Barret Jackman. "We're discussing that now," Armstrong said. "We want to get the"
Backes reaches 30-30-30 status ... can he keep it?
April 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"David Backes might not have said it publicly, but it was a goal of his to reach 30 goals again this season. He set a career high two years ago with 31, but his production fell off last season, dropping to 17. "A lot of guys give me grief that it was a fluke the first time I did it," Backes said. "But we're there again, and 30 assists to go with it." Backes proved Tuesday that his 2008-09 season was no fluke, netting his 30th of the year in a 3-1 win over Colorado. "It's a great plateau for him," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "Obviously getting back to that spot, he's played hard hockey this year, and credit to him, that's how he plays. Great to see him get it. We knew we were getting"
Backes tops his goal total from last year
February 10
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It's not vindication, by any stretch. David Backes need not have regrets. But certainly there were some heads being scratched when he followed a 31-goal season in 2008-09 with a 17-goal deposit in 2009-10. The discrepancy inevitably raised the question: Which player is he, a 31-goal scorer or a 17-goal scorer? The best answer might be both and none of the above. Given what Backes brings to the competitive table for the Blues in terms of character, physicality and situational options, point production is far from the sum of his parts. Keep in mind his 17-goal, 48-point season last year ranked as the second most productive in his career. But in Tuesday's 2-1 victory at Florida, Backes edited"
Backes puts team goals ahead of scoring points
December 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When told that his two goals Sunday put him on pace for his second 20-goal season and a career high in points, David Backes took his index fingers and plugged his ears. Ever since Backes scored 31 goals in 2008-09, there's been pressure on him to be one of the team's top offensive contributors. A lot of that has been applied by Backes himself, particularly entering the final year of his contract this season. Once again, the beginning of the schedule didn't start off as well as he would have liked, and although points are coming more regularly lately, Backes is showing little personal excitement. "My goal is the playoffs and a big silver trophy like the team we're playing Tuesday was able"
Backes gives power play a jolt
November 14
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues have been living large through much of their early schedule. The team came into its game Saturday at Phoenix with 21 points in 14 games, tied with Detroit and Anaheim atop the Western Conference standings. On another level, they have been living on borrowed time. To explain: Remember those carefree, halcyon days when the Blues scored five power-play goals in their first four games? More recently, there has been a better chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa than finding goals on the power play. The Blues took the ice at Jobing.com Arena on Saturday zero for their last six games and zero for their last 25 PP at-bats. "Teams just have their ears pinned back and are coming after us," coach"
Backes signs five-year extension with Blues
November 12
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The St. Louis Blues announced Friday the club has signed forward David Backes to a five-year contract extension. "David could have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and we are excited that he has made the long term commitment to the Blues organization," said Armstrong. "The way he handles himself on and off the ice represents what the Blues are all about." "I am ecstatic to have this deal signed and to be a Blue for many years to come," said Backes. "My wife and I love this city and these fans have been nothing but great to us. This is a great organization to play for, from top to bottom, and we expect to be a top team in this league." Backes, 26, is currently in"
St. Louis Blues' David Backes earns an 'A'
March 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues forward Keith Tkachuk has played 19 full seasons in the NHL, and he has the contusions to prove it. This season, at times, has been especially trying. Tkachuk lost four teeth when he was hit by a slap shot in January. More recently, he required surgery on a finger when he was hit with another shot. But while those developments were painful, the transfer of the "A" from his sweater to the one worn by David Backes is not the least bit uncomfortable. "It's fine, it's good," Tkachuk said. "You don't need a letter to be a leader, to embrace the things and do things you need to do to. I'm at the end of my career and David is an elite player on this team at this point. When you have done"
Backes on defensive after Swiss accusation
February 18
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"One day after scoring a beautiful game-winner for the United States, David Backes was denying words Swiss forward Julien Sprunger accused him of saying during the American victory. Last May, Backes broke Sprunger's neck with a hard check in the world championships. Sprunger underwent surgery and worked with a psychologist to make a comeback. In Tuesday's 3-1 U.S. victory, Backes and Sprunger met for the first time since. The two had a run-in, Backes said something to him, and Sprunger told ESPN.com it was that he'd "do it to you again if you want." Backes, from Blaine, believes his English words to the Swiss player and repeated to ESPN.com in French were lost in translation, saying: "I"
Backes shows how special he's going to be
February 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It didn't take long for David Backes to make his mark in Olympic competition. He led the disjointed Americans to a 3-1 victory over Switzerland in preliminary action. "David Backes' end-to-end rush that resulted in the eventual winning goal was a beauty, not to mention a nice reward for a guy who suffered a bloody nose earlier in the game," wrote ChicagoTribune.com blogger Steve Rosenbloom, a fan of old-time hockey. "It was one of those plays that will make you a national hero in an instant," wrote Jake Duhaime of Inside Hockey and FoxSports.com. "With the U.S. leading Switzerland 1-0 just over five minutes into the second period, one sprawling save by Ryan Miller led to a rush up ice by"
Controversy in U.S. win: Swiss F Sprunger says Backes threatened him
February 17
Toronto Sun
 
"American David Backes had an end-to-end rush for a goal, a bloody nose and a potential black eye Tuesday. Backes scored what turned out to be the winner in the USA's 3-1 win over Switzerland in the opening game for both countries in the Olympic tournament. After the game, Swiss forward Julien Sprunger, who had his fourth and fifth cervical verterbrae fractured on a hit from behind by Backes at last year's world championship, said he thought he heard Backes threaten him during the game. "He said something to the effect of 'I'll do it again to you if you want,'" Sprunger told ESPN.com But Backes denied the allegation."
Blues' Backes, Johnson lift USA
February 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Considering Tuesday was the first time Team USA had stepped onto the ice together, the Americans were more than pleased with their 3-1 victory over Switzerland in the first round of the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament. The Blues must have been pleased, too, as David Backes and Erik Johnson were key contributors to the win. Backes scored a beauty of a goal on a coast-to-coast rush, and meanwhile, Johnson led the Americans in ice time. Backes and Johnson were two of 20 players on the U.S. roster making their Olympic debuts. The group hadn't even been together since last June's orientation camp in Chicago. Eight months later, the scene changed drastically Tuesday when the puck dropped on"
Blues' David Backes heads to the Olympics
February 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"To define David Backes strictly in hockey terms is to do his parents, Steve and Karen Backes, a disservice. Backes is a fine hockey player, to be sure. He is NHL-caliber, and has been used as an alternate captain for the Blues. He is a former college star at Minnesota State University-Mankato and will be a foundation piece of the U.S. Olympic hockey team that competes in Vancouver. He is all of those things because of who he is without the sweater on, because of how his parents raised him. "We always let David know he was going to be held accountable whether he made the right or wrong decisions," said his mother, Karen Backes. "And it was always better to be accountable for the right ones"
Blues advise Canucks to back off on Backes
January 27
Vancouver Sun
 
"While the talk sounded good to Vancouver Canucks fans — David Backes maybe coming to the Left Coast in a trade — it didn't impress St. Louis Blues president John Davidson. "We have no interest in that," Davidson stated Tuesday while his Blues went through an optional workout at GM Place. "David Backes is a Blue, simply put. He's a very important player for us. He's a legitimate, genuine power forward who can play the wing, or centre ice. He can score and he's powerful enough to play in the face of people, which you need. "We plan on making the playoffs," Davidson added. "So we're not going to take our team and speculate that we're going to move people or anything like that because we have"
St. Louis Blues' David Backes misses second game to injury
January 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"With David Backes missing his second straight game Saturday, Blues coach Davis Payne moved another winger to center. Brad Boyes handled the duties on the road, and on Saturday it was T.J. Oshie's turn to patrol the middle. Oshie was at center against the Anaheim Ducks, with Paul Kariya at left wing and Boyes on the right side. "There's a lot of skill out there," Payne said. "Osh's ability to play all three forward positions is certainly something we want to take advantage of." Oshie played center at the University of North Dakota and has been used at times in the middle with the Blues. "It's been a while," Oshie said. "I haven't played there on a regular basis since the first couple of"
Backes leaves game in Blues loss
November 15
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The message was heard loud and clearly. Blues defenseman Barret Jackman was one of several players to take note of owner Dave Checketts' declaration on Friday that the "wait is over" and "it's time to win." "When it comes from the top like that, results have to come now," Jackman said. "Now" can be a relative term, however, when the next game on the schedule is against the San Jose Sharks, who came into Saturday's matchup leading the NHL with 29 points. The Blues registered a season-high 39 shots on goal, but went 0 for six on the power play in a 3-1 loss to San Jose. In a tight finish, the Blues inexplicably put themselves down a man for the final 1 minute, 41 seconds of the game, taking"
St. Louis Blues count on David Backes to avoid slow start
September 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"In the moment, David Backes didn't have time to relish the greatest night of his hockey career. It came last April, with the Blues fighting for their playoff lives and playing one of the best teams in the NHL, Detroit, in one of the toughest rinks in the league, Joe Louis Arena. Backes scored four goals - some still argue he had all five - in a 5-4 victory over the Red Wings. The Blues won four of their last five games and sneaked into the Western Conference playoffs. "It was at such a chaotic time," Backes said Monday. "We needed that game for the playoffs and there wasn't a ton of time to digest it. A hat trick was always something I wanted to accomplish in the NHL, but to have four with"
Blues trio to get a taste of Olympic experience
August 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When Al Michaels uttered the famous broadcast call: "Do you believe in miracles? YESSSSS!" the Blues' David Backes, Erik Johnson and T.J. Oshie weren't even alive. Yet, the United States' improbable triumph over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics had a dramatic impact on the three players. Either through stories, video footage or the movie about the game, "Miracle," the young Blues get goosebumps thinking about the victory that Sports Illustrated labeled the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. "You had the Cold War going with the Soviets, and for the U.S. to be the underdogs and pull it off really demoralized (the Soviets) and really increased the sentiment over here in"