Niklas Bäckström

Niklas Oskar Bäckström (born February 13, 1978 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Minnesota Wild of the NHL.

Career
Bäckström was the third goaltender for Team Finland in the 2006 Winter Olympics, but did not play any games. In the Finnish SM-liiga he played for HIFK, SaiPa and Kärpät. Bäckström led Kärpät to two consecutive league titles in 2004 and 2005. Bäckström signed a one-year contract with the Wild on June 1, 2006.

In the beginning of the 2006-2007 season, Bäckström was the backup for the Wild's starting goaltender, Manny Fernandez. Fernandez suffered a knee injury mid-season and Bäckström was forced into the starting position. Bäckström played exceptionally over the second half of the season, finishing first in the league in both goals against average and save percentage, while tying Dwayne Roloson's team record with five shutouts in just 36 starts.

He has re-signed with the Wild for multiple years.

Awards

 * Jari Kurri trophy for best player of the SM-liiga playoffs - 2004 & 2005
 * Urpo Ylönen trophy for best goaltender of the SM-liiga regular season - 2004 & 2005
 * William M. Jennings Trophy - 2007 (together with Manny Fernandez)
 * Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award - 2007