Mikael Backlund is living up to his advanced billing.
When Kelowna Rockets head coach Ryan Huska was informed Backlund would join his team a day after the Western Hockey League's trade deadline, Huska was told his team was acquiring a clutch and dynamic offensive player.
If Backlund's performance in the playoffs is any indication, the scouting report was spot on.
"That was what we were told when Mikael first came over was when the importance of the game increases, his play increases as well," Huska said. "We definitely have seen that so far."
So have the Vancouver Giants and Tri-City Americans. In both pivotal Game 6's, Backlund enjoyed a three-point night. His shorthanded goal against Tri-City gave his team the insurance in that win while he was even better against the Giants on Monday.
Backlund scored his team's first two goals, including one of the prettiest individual efforts of the playoffs on the second goal. To cap the game, and the Giants' season, Backlund clinched the series with the overtime winner off a deflection that resulted in a long video review after Kelowna's celebration spilled onto the ice.
"It was a long time, I can tell you that much," said Huska.
Backlund remains uncertain whether the puck deflected off his arm or his stick on the series clinching goal. The outcome now is less important than the result, as the league's video replay team decided in favour of the original call on the ice, giving Kelowna the date with the Calgary Hitmen in the championship series.
Cody Almond was among the few surprised by Backlund's emergence in Game 6 against the Giants. Almond is one of Backlund's closest friends on the team after Almond joined the coaching staff to meet Backlund at the airport. Almond spent the day showing his new teammate around town, forming a bond he said helped them gel together on the ice.
While Backlund was new to the Rockets and fresh off his first National Hockey League game with the Calgary Flames, his teammates avoided a comical initiation with their newest member.
"He's too nice of a guy," Almond explained. "(And) you can't really do too much to a guy who's played in the NHL so he gets treated pretty well."
As well as Backlund has played recently, it didn't come instantaneously in Kelowna. After having played on the bigger, more wide-open ice surfaces in Sweden his entire life, Backlund needed an adjustment period to acclimatize himself with the North American game.
"He was playing a little bit too perimeter and trying to be a little too fancy but after a week or two he was starting to figure it out, competing hard and getting in the crease areas," Almond said.
Backlund couldn't be happier with the decision to join the Rockets. He names the travel and volume of games as two adjustments he needed to make upon joining Kelowna.
The opportunity to join the Rockets, however, was never something he questioned. Just as the team knew what kind of player they were getting, Backlund knew the depth and potential of the team he was joining.
As Backlund attempts to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup in what will likely be his only taste of junior hockey in Canada, the team standing in his way presents a bit of irony. Calgary is home to his future NHL team and the one he faces in the WHL final.
The irony is not lost on Backlund.
"Of course it's a little more excitement because I'm drafted here," he said. "I'm in Calgary, I like to be here and it's a good hockey town so it's going to be a lot of crazy games so I can't wait."
This series will make things easier on the Flames' brass who has been keeping a close eye on Backlund's development in Kelowna.
"We've had a lot of Flames personnel watching him since his first game with us," Huska said. "He's always got an audience. People want to watch him play and that includes the fans. They know his name. A lot of people want to come and see how he plays and get a look for themselves whether or not he'll be able to play for the Flames next year."
As for the task at hand, Backlund respects the Hitmen who have won all 12 games in the playoffs to date. After having beaten the Hitmen in the regular season in Calgary, however, Backlund and his teammates are confident they're up for the challenge.
"They're a good team but they're not unbeatable," he said. "We have a real good team and a real good chance to beat them."
With Backlund playing up to his potential, Almond agrees his team stands a chance against the favoured-Hitmen.
"(Backlund's) just been getting better and better," he said. "He's been huge for us in the big games, scoring the big goals and really stepped up his game."
"He's a player that most teams would have loved to have had coming at playoff time," Huska added. "He's a very good player and he adds a ton to our club."
As the Flames assemble their scouting reports on their prized prospect in a championship series, they know Backlund could soon be a player who adds a ton to their club.
And in the Flames' case, no advanced billing will be required.
