David Backes retires at the age of 37

Former National Hockey League All-Star David Backes of Minneapolis, MN retired at the age of 37 on Thursday. Despite playing the 2020-21 NHL season with the Anaheim Ducks, Backes retired as a member of the St. Louis Blues after signing a one-day contract according to TSN.

Backes played 15 seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins and Ducks. In 965 games, Backes had 248 goals and 313 assists for 561 points. He was a +64 with 1148 penalty minutes, 132 power play points, 10 shorthanded points, 32 game-winning goals, 2178 shots on goal, and 4712 faceoff wins.

The reason why Backes signed the one-day contract with the Blues is because he was drafted by St. Louis in the second round, 62nd overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He would go on to play the next 10 seasons in St. Louis until 2015-16.

Backes was a NHL All-Star in 2010-11 while with the Blues. This was also his finest NHL season. He had career highs in points (62) and plus/minus (+32). Backes’s +32 was second in the NHL that season. The NHL plus/minus leader was Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, who was a +33.

From 2009 to 2019, Backes went on to play 82 postseason games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points, was a -7, with 63 penalty minutes, five power-play goals, four game-winning goals, 151 shots on goal, 412 faceoff wins, 61 blocked shots, 317 hits, 32 takeaways, and 28 giveaways.

Twice Backes scored an overtime winner in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first goal came in a 1-0 Blues win over the Chicago Blackhawks in game one of the 2016 Western Conference quarterfinals, and the second goal came in a 4-3 Blues win over the Dallas Stars in game two of the Western Conference semifinals.

Backes also had three career NHL hat tricks. They came in a 5-4 Blues win over the Detroit Red Wings on April 2, 2009, in a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 25, 2014 and in a 6-0 Blues win over the Anaheim Ducks on January 6, 2015.

Internationally, Backes was on the American team that won the silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. The United States lost the gold medal game to Canada 3-2.