Niklas Backstrom
Hockey Player
NHL goaltender who joined the Minnesota Wild in 2006 and became the franchise's career leader in a number of stats, including wins and games started in net. His rookie year he went 23-8 with a remarkable 1.97 goals against average.
He played for HIFK in the top Finnish league from 1996 to 2000.
He is often confused with Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom, whose name is spelled the same in English characters apart from a "C" before the "K" in "Nicklas."
He was born in Helsinki, Finland.
He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the league's top goaltender, in 2009, but the legendary New Jersey Devils keeper Martin Brodeur edged him out.