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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCEFebruary 26, 2007Niklas BackstromDAVID KEON: Good afternoon, everyone, I'm David Keon of the National Hockey League's public relation the department and I'd like to welcome you to today's call. Our guest is Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom. Thanks to Niklas for taking the time today to answer your questions and thanks to Aaron Sickman of the Minnesota Wild public relations department for arranging the call. Earlier today Niklas was named First Star for this past week after leading the Wild to three victories posting a 1.62 goals-against-average and a .933 save percentage. The 29-year-old native of Helsinki, Finland in his first NHL season, after signing with the Wild as a free agent last June became the first goalie of the modern era to record two wins without having even started a game, winning in relief against Nashville on October 7 and in Vancouver on November 2. Since Manny Fernandez sprained a knee on January 30, has appeared in all 11 Minnesota games, posting a record of 8-2-1. His overall record stands at 13-7-4, and he is third among NHL goalies with a 2.23 goals-against-average and also third with a .923 save percentage. The Wild currently sit second in the Northwest Division with a record of 35-23-5 for 75 points. On Wednesday they open a three-game western Canadian road trip in Calgary, and follow that up with visits to Edmonton and Vancouver later in the week. Thanks to Niklas for taking the time to join us and answer your questions. Q. First of all, what's it been like going into it since many has been hurt, what's it been like carrying the load, if you will? NIKLAS BACKSTROM: Oh, I have tried to enjoy every moment out there because you've been dreaming about playing here and I'm not that young anymore and really thankful to have a chance to play now here. So I just tell myself that -- don't think too much, have fun and these are the games you're going to remember when it's time to retire. Q. You mentioned not very young, how long have you dreamed to play in the National Hockey League, and now having gone through it, has it lived up to everything you dreamed of? NIKLAS BACKSTROM: Yeah, first of all, it's lived up to it. It's really great, awesome to be here and very enjoying every day. But, I don't know, I think every kid back home who played hockey, they dream about playing over here. Sometimes when you get older, you think, 'I didn't get the chance to come over here,' so you probably think you missed your chance. But then finally you get a chance even if you're a little bit older. Q. And I was just curious as to who your favorite NHL players were or goalies were while you were waiting to get over here. NIKLAS BACKSTROM: I think as a young guy I probably followed (inaudible) -- Tinnen (ph) and these guys, but goalies, it was Patrick Roy and now last five or six years with a lot of Finnish goalies get a chance here and played really well, so you start to follow them more. Q. Was there a time you thought maybe you wouldn't get this chance, that you wouldn't get the chance to play in the NHL? NIKLAS BACKSTROM: Yeah, some day maybe, I don't know, five, six, seven years ago, you start to think and getting older and nobody is asking about me. So you have that in your mind that you're probably not going to get the chance here. So it's really great last summer to get the chance and come over. Q. And just another question here, you're starting the three-game trip, which you do go through Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, looking at the standings, I imagine this could be a trip very important to what the Wild -- where you end up in the playoffs; has that been a talk around the team at all? NIKLAS BACKSTROM: Oh, it's been for a while for the whole team we know every game we play, it's a huge point for us and it turned out to be for the other teams, too. So it's going to be the same way now all the way through the end. So we have to try to play the same way we are playing now for a couple weeks and try for every point you can get. It's like every night, every game is really important. It doesn't matter if you play home or on the road. Q. On the Northwest Division, your club has been very competitive, but I'm curious, between Vancouver and Calgary, when you see them, which of those two teams do you think is better? NIKLAS BACKSTROM: Both of them are really good. It's hard to compare them. They are playing a bit different hockey, but it's really good teams. I don't know, both are really good. Q. And I also wanted to know, you get to see Marian Gaborik in practice; how is he on breakaways to you? NIKLAS BACKSTROM: It's good I see him only in practice because you can tell the way he is in practice, he's really a good goal scorer. So it's good that I only have to face him in the practice. DAVID KEON: Thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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