October 22, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL) Adirondack Phantoms Adirondack Phantoms goaltender Johan Backlund does not fit the profile of an American Hockey League rookie getting his feet wet in the professional ranks for the first time. He certainly does not play like a rookie on the ice either. In fact, the 6-foot-2, 198-pound Backlund is not even close to being a rookie by AHL definitions. Yet he has played fewer AHL games than all but four of the other players on Adirondack's current 25-man roster and those four players all made their professional hockey debuts with the Phantoms this season. Since turning 20 years old on July 24, 2001, the Skelleftea, Sweden, native had played in 293 career pro games, logging over 17,000 minutes in goal, making almost 7,000 saves and recording 31 shutouts, all in his home country. He... [read full story]
