Christian Bäckman

Christian Bäckman (born 28 April 1980 in Alingsås) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for Frölunda HC of the Swedish Elitserien.
==Playing career==
Bäckman was drafted by St. Louis Blues in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 1st round, 24th overall. It was not until the 2002–03 NHL season that he got a contract for play in the NHL. He only played four games for St. Louis in his first season, spending the rest of the season playing for Worcester Ice Cats in the American Hockey League (AHL). Between 2003–04 and 2007–08 he was a regular for St. Louis recording 64 points (19 goals, 45 assists), and 130 penalty minutes in 228 games.
Bäckman is a big defenceman, moving confidently with the puck who is often seen successfully dumping it towards the net which gives his teammates in front of the goaltender good scoring chances.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout Bäckman played for his Swedish youth club Frölunda in Elitserien where he totalled 19 points in 50 games, winning the Elitserien playoffs.
St. Louis announced on 10 August 2006 that the club re-signed Bäckman for a multi-year contract, although no contract details was released. According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet the contract gives Bäckman 50 million Swedish kronor (approx. $7 million) over three years. 
On 26 February 2008, Bäckman was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 4th round draft pick. On 2 March 2008, in his second game as a Ranger, Bäckman scored his first goal as a Ranger on Antero Niittymäki of the Philadelphia Flyers, off assists from Brendan Shanahan and Scott Gomez.
On 2 July 2008, Bäckman was traded, along with Fedor Tyutin, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche.
In October 2009, Bäckman signed with Frölunda HC.
==Personal life==
Bäckman is married to wife Jeanette and has two children, a boy and a girl. He spends the off-season in Gothenburg, Sweden.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1998–99 	Västra Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	49 	0 	4 	4 	4 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0
1999–00 	Västra Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	27 	1 	0 	1 	14 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	0
2000–01 	Västra Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	50 	1 	10 	11 	32 	 	3 	0 	2 	2 	2
2001–02 	Västra Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	44 	7 	4 	11 	38 	 	10 	0 	0 	0 	8
2002–03 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 	 	72 	8 	19 	27 	66 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	5
2002–03 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 	 	4 	1 	2 	3 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	66 	5 	13 	18 	16 	 	5 	0 	2 	2 	4
2004–05 	Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	50 	4 	15 	19 	40 	 	14 	2 	7 	9 	10
2005–06 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	52 	6 	12 	18 	48 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	61 	7 	11 	18 	36 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	45 	1 	9 	10 	30 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	18 	2 	6 	8 	20 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	12
2008–09 	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL 	 	56 	2 	5 	7 	32 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	47 	10 	18 	28 	46 	 	7 	1 	2 	3 	6
2010–11 	Frölunda HC 	SEL 	 	21 	4 	13 	17 	8 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
SEL totals	SEL totals 	SEL totals	 	288 	27 	64 	91 	182 	 	43 	3 	11 	14 	26
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	302 	23 	56 	79 	182 	 	13 	0 	2 	2 	16
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	GP	G	A 	Pts	PIM
1999 	Sweden Jr. 	WJC 	6 	0	3 	3 	0
2000 	Sweden Jr. 	WJC 	7 	1	1 	2 	6
2004 	Sweden 	WC 	9 	1	2 	3 	6
2005 	Sweden 	WC 	9 	1	1 	2 	6
2006 	Sweden 	OG 	8 	1	2 	3 	6
2010 	Sweden 	WC 	9 	0	3 	3 	10
Junior int' totals	Junior int' totals	Junior int' totals	59	9	20	29 	40
Senior int' totals	Senior int' totals	Senior int' totals	65	6	14	20 	50
== Awards ==
* Silver medal at the 2004 World Championships.
* Olympic gold medal with Sweden in 2006.
* Elitserien champion with Frölunda HC in 2005.
== References ==
==External links==
*Backman55.se — Official website
*
*
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Category:Born in 1980
Category:Columbus Blue Jackets players
Category:Frölunda HC players
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Sweden
Category:St. Louis Blues draft picks
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Swedish ice hockey players
Category:Worcester IceCats players