Group A at Flames training camp featured a unit of Captain Jarome Iginla, vet Olli Jokinen (acquired last season at the trade deadline) and Swedish twenty year old Mikael Backlund. Rather than returning to his home club in Sweden (Vesteras IHK) after the World Junior Hockey Championships, Backlund played one NHL game with the Flames and was assigned to the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. With Backlund as an integral part of the team, the Rockets won the Ed Chenowyth Cup (WHL Champioship) and represented the WHL at the Memorial Cup Championship.
As far as Day One of main camp (GROUP A) goes, Backlund was a standout. What was most impressive is that he was able to keep up and actually excel in drills with his much more experienced linemates. Also, he never stands around waiting for things to happen. For example, while his group session was winding down, Backie skated up and down the neutral zone working on his stick handling skills. He even passed the puck to himself using the boards during his self-assigned drill. He's going to make it very difficult to send him to Abbotsford, I think.
I would consider myself biased because I watched Garth Murray with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League for two seasons, but he is a pretty decent player. Maybe not NHL decent, but definitely Abbotsford decent.
Jay Bouwmeester was part of this group. He, of course, is a lock to make the team. He's stronger and smarter than he was when I watched him in junior (I lived in Medicine Hat in his draft year), about 6 seasons ago.
More later...
