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Christian Backman

Born:Apr 28, 1980Draft: 1998 Blues, 24th Overall
Hometown:Alingsås, SwedenPosition:Defense
Known For:Olympic Gold MedalShoots:Left
National Team:SwedenCurrent Status:Retired

David Booth (born November 24, 1984) is a former Swedish ice hockey player, having played his final year in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2008-2009 season. Drafted 24th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Backman returned to Sweden to commit to the Frölunda HC program for four more seasons, in order to develop his two-way game. He made his debut in the 2002-03 season with the Blues, appearing in four games while spending the remainder of the year with their minor-league affiliate Worcester IceCats. While he played the majority of the next season with the Blues, Backman returned to Sweden during the NHL lockout year, amassing 19 points in 50 games while adding nine more in 14 post-season games. His return to St. Louis lasted one more full season, as he was traded to the New York Rangers for a fourth-round pick during the 2007-08 season.

In 18 games with the Rangers, Backman registered eight points but was held off the scoresheet in eight post-season appearances. This spelled the end of his run in the Big Apple, as he was traded to the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2008, along with defenseman Fedor Tyutin for forwards Dan Fritsche and Nikolai Zherdev. His run with Columbus lasted 56 games, as the Swedish blueliner returned to Sweden the following season, re-joining the Frölunda HC program. He played in six more seasons with Frölunda HC, serving as an alternate captain in the final three years.

Internationally, Backman has represented Sweden eight times, including one Olympic Winter Games and three Ice Hockey World Championships. He has an Olympic gold medal, along with one tournament gold medal, two silver, and one bronze. Backman retired in 2015, finishing with 781 career games combined across 17 seasons with the NHL and SHL.

Christian Backman Statistics

Trade Tracker

DateTraded FromTraded WithTraded ToTraded For
Feb. 26, 2008St. Louis BluesNew York RangersFourth-Round Pick 2008
(Dale Weise)
July 2, 2008New York RangersFedor TyutinColumbus Blue JacketsDan Fritsche
Nikolai Zherdev

Deeper Dive

Achievements

  • U18 EJC Silver Medal (1997)
  • U18 EJC Gold Medal (1998)
  • World Championship Silver Medal (2004)
  • Elitserien All-Star Team (2005)
  • Elitserien Most Points by Defenseman Playoffs (9) (2005)
  • Elitserien Champion (2005)
  • Olympic Gold Medal (2006)
  • World Championship Bronze Medal (2010)

Sources