David Backes RUMORS & NEWS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has altered his forward combinations several times this season, but Tuesday’s changes were notable for two reasons. First, Hitchcock split up center David Backes and right winger T.J. Oshie, who were together for each of the team’s first 25 games. Secondly, he broke up..." March 13

St. Louis Game Time "David Backes is a smart guy. While at Minnesota State University, the Blues' captain studied electrical engineering and actually considered hockey a fall-back career. After leaving school his senior year to join up with the Peoria Rivermen, Backes has been trying to finish his degree, but..." February 28

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Blues captain David Backes, who left Thursday's practice early with a groin strain, skated gingerly during today's morning skate but made it through the end. He's listed as a game-time decision for tonight's game against Calgary. If Backes does not play, it would end his consecutive games..." February 15

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Blues forward David Backes is one of three finalists for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward. Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit and Patrice Bergeron of Boston are the other finalists. "It's quite an honor to be up for any award," Backes said after practice Monday. "I think we're the most..." April 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "David Backes has experienced a lot during his time in St. Louis. He has never experienced a more successful stretch of hockey. The Blues have to win 13 of their final 33 games to become the winningest team Backes has played with since he donned the Note in 2006-07. Isn't it funny how that..." February 02

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A few games ago, the Blues traded in their "Hard hat of the game" for the "Weenie hat." Several players had won it recently, but none dared to wear it in their postgame television interview. Until Saturday. After a four-point night that lifted the Blues to a 4-2 victory over Buffalo, David..." January 22

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "When Ken Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne as the coach of the Blues on Nov. 6, he was looking for help. The Blues didn't need a new voice in the room, they needed a familiar voice to translate a new message. Hitchcock would have to lean on the coaching staff that was in place to implement it. But..." December 13

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "T.J. Oshie's behind-the-back pass to David Backes for a power-play goal, which proved to be the game-winner in the Blues' 2-1 victory Sunday, was executed well enough that Columbus goalie Curtis Sanford believed it to be a set play. But that hardly was the case. "I told 'Osh' after we got..." November 28

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Blues forward David Backes was making progress Sunday after suffering an upper-body injury Saturday night in Philadelphia. Backes was injured in the second period of the Blues' 4-2 win, when he collided with Flyers defenseman and former Blue Chris Pronger. Backes appeared to hit his head on the..." October 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The baseball Cardinals have not had a "captain" in the clubhouse since Ken Boyer carried the distinction in the early 1960s. The NFL Rams have three captains, a separation of powers that seems as constitutional as it is purposeful. Hockey is a different animal. Every NHL team has a captain, a..." October 02

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "David Backes might not have said it publicly, but it was a goal of his to reach 30 goals again this season. He set a career high two years ago with 31, but his production fell off last season, dropping to 17. "A lot of guys give me grief that it was a fluke the first time I did it," Backes..." April 06

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "It's not vindication, by any stretch. David Backes need not have regrets. But certainly there were some heads being scratched when he followed a 31-goal season in 2008-09 with a 17-goal deposit in 2009-10. The discrepancy inevitably raised the question: Which player is he, a 31-goal scorer or a..." February 10