The Calgary Flames announced that they have agreed to a two-year extension with veteran center Mikael Backlund, and they have also named him the 21st captain in the team's history. Flames general manager Craig Conroy spoke about the move in the Flames' announcement.

“Mikael Backlund is our captain. He has been our captain for some time,” Craig Conroy said in the Flames' announcement. “Today we are excited to extend Mikael for two more seasons and officially add the captaincy to his jersey. We look forward to his continued leadership on the ice, in the locker room and in our community.”

Backlund has been with the Flames since the 2008-2009 season, when he was 19. He is a 15-year veteran and has spent every year of his career with the Flames. Now that the extension is done, it appears he is staying with the team for even longer. Despite being in the league so long, he is still 34 and should be a valuable player for the next couple of years. He is coming off of a season in which he played in all 82 games and put up 56 points, the most in his career, according to Hockey Reference. He spoke about the extension and being named the captain.

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“This is a very special day for my family and I,” Backlund said. “Calgary is our home and to know that we will continue my playing career here is important to us. As well, the possibility to play 1000th game this year as a Flame and celebrate it with our fans and the community is significant to me. I'm as equally proud to be named the captain of this historic franchise. I'm ready for the responsibility that goes with wearing the C and I'm surrounded by a strong leadership group in our locker room that will help us take the next step toward winning the Stanley Cup.”

The Flames will look to get back to the playoffs in head coach Ryan Huska's first year as head coach. Backlund will be a key player for Ryan Huska to lean on.