Former Washington Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom is returning to professional hockey, but not in the NHL. On Monday, Swedish club Brynäs IF announced it has signed the 37-year-old center.
Though Backstrom hasn’t officially retired from the NHL, he hasn’t played since October 2023. He spent the entire 2024–25 season on long-term injured reserve, and his contract with the Capitals expired on July 1. The organization congratulated him on his new opportunity in Sweden.
Backstrom appeared in only eight games during the 2023–24 campaign before stepping away from hockey due to lingering hip problems. He underwent hip resurfacing surgery in the 2022 offseason, which delayed his return until midway through the 2022–23 season. Despite coming back, he struggled to perform at his usual level.
A native of Gävle, Sweden—where Brynäs is based—Backstrom came up through the club’s junior system and spent three professional seasons there before making his NHL debut in 2007.
Throughout his NHL career, Backstrom was known as the primary playmaker for Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. He holds the franchise record for most assists (762) and ranks second in both games played (1,105) and points (1,033), behind only Ovechkin. His assist total is also sixth-best in the NHL's salary-cap era, trailing only Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Joe Thornton, Anze Kopitar, and Evgeni Malkin.
Backstrom was a key contributor during Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup run, recording 23 points in 20 playoff games.
The Capitals selected Backstrom fourth overall in the 2006 NHL Draft, two years after drafting Ovechkin first overall.
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