Photo: Team Sweden
Swedish sports media outlet Aftonbladet is reporting that Washington Capitals centerman Nicklas Backstrom will once again pass on playing for Team Sweden in the upcoming 2023 IIHF World Championship in May. Backstrom said that he had hopes of playing, but in the end he realized that it was more important to build up his hip.
“It would have been so much fun, but unfortunately, he told Aftonbladet. “I have to strengthen my hip more and have a good summer.” Backstrom last played for Team Sweden in the 2017 Championship, when Sweden won the Gold Medal.
This past summer, Backstrom decided to take on an intensive and potentially career-impacting hip resurfacing surgery. By all accounts the surgery went well, as he eventually out-performed the odds of returning to the ice during the 2022-23 season. He ended up suiting up for the Capitals in 39 games.
In his breakdown day interview, Backstrom mentioned that he was optimistic about his future performance, since he’ll be able to get a full training session in this off-season.
Capitals defensman Rasmus Sandin remains a potential candidate for Team Sweden’s World Championship roster.
The 2023 IIHF World Championship will be co-hosted by Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 12 to 28 May 2023, and will be organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
By Jon Sorensen
Smart move on Nicky’s part.
Co-sign
Tri-signed
Becasue hes not getting paid.
Please. He was part of the last gold medal winning team.
Stupid comment. Playing on national teams is very important to these top players.
Especially those who are Russian. (The Swedes love to play for their national team but for Russia it’s practically a requirement.)
So Sammy let in 6 as Leafs lost 7-3, and Vee let in 4 as Devils lost 5-1.
And Grubauer only allowed one
So he is not playing to “in the end he realized that it was more important to build up his hip”. So IMHO by saying that then he should NOT have been playing this year at all. Please Backy you have had a great career and NO one wants to see you goout looking like you did this past year so please do the smart think and hang them up and go out gracefully and with dignity knowing you tried. Maybe if you had not played this year and rehabbed all year and summer you could have played in the tournament to see if you were ready for a grueling 82 game schedule.
Never ends
your useless remarks and staying Anonymous just prove that you know nothing about hockey and have to hide which makes your comments irrelevant. So please take you lousy game somewhere else!
SCPlayoffs Round One: (waiting for a new thread)
Ugggly: NJD gets blown out at home by NYR. TOR gets destroyed by TBL, at home. It’s just the first of a seven game series, but TOR looks like the Cubs (108 years between championships) and NJD is too cutesy and finesse to win Playoff games.
Coool: SEA smokes COL and looks good doing it. VGK – the crookedest franchise in Pro Sport – gets thumped by small-market WPG. Bring on Game 2!
Give NJ a couple of years and i think they will surprise people. Toronto….down in 5 or 6. Want to see Sea and Col go 7 and just wail on each other. Want Stephenson to have a great series but see WPG win in 6.
Thanks hockeydruid. Concur all!
NJD was “all over” NYR for stretches, but goalie Igor made a bunch of splendid saves. We’ll see if some of those shots go in on Thursday