Backstrom signs with Swedish team Brynas IF

Nicklas Backstrom is making a return to professional hockey, just not with the Washington Capitals.

The 37-year-old signed with Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League on Monday, the team announced.

The Capitals congratulated Backstrom on the move.

Backstrom hasn't officially retired from the NHL, though he hasn't suited up in a professional game since October 2023, spending the entire 2024-25 season on long-term injured reserve. His contract expired July 1.

He played just eight contests in 2023-24 before stepping away due to ongoing hip issues. Backstrom underwent hip resurfacing surgery in the 2022 offseason, causing him to miss the first half of the 2022-23 campaign. The playmaking center struggled to regain his prior form following the procedure.

Backstrom hails from Gavle, Sweden, where Brynas plays its home games. He came up through Brynas' junior program and played three seasons for the professional team before coming to the NHL in 2007.

The longtime setup man for Alex Ovechkin, Backstrom's 762 assists are the most in Capitals history and sixth-most in the NHL's salary-cap era, trailing only Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Joe Thornton, Anze Kopitar, and Evgeni Malkin.

Backstrom also ranks second to Ovechkin in Capitals history in games played (1,105) and points (1,033).

He helped Washington win the 2018 Stanley Cup, racking up 23 points in 20 games that postseason.

The Capitals drafted Backstrom fourth overall in 2006, two years after selecting Ovechkin first overall.