ONE OF THE BEST SKATERS IN THE LEAGUE, RALPH BACKSTROM COULD EASILY BE DEEP IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE AND GET BACK IN TIME TO STOP HIS OPPONENTS.

A product of one of the NHL’s most prolific breeding grounds, Ralph Backstrom was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in 1937. The lean, scrappy 21-year-old forward was already a champion when he made the Montreal Canadiens.

In his junior days, with Scotty Bowman behind the bench and Sam Pollock overseeing the administrative details, Backstrom captained a Hull-Ottawa Canadiens team sprinkled with future Habs to the Memorial Cup.

His scoring touch followed him to the pro ranks as Backstrom scored 18 goals and assisted on 22 others in his rookie season with the Habs in 1958-59. Backstrom’s efforts earned him the Calder Trophy and the Canadiens cruised to a fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.

Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard were in their prime, leaving Backstrom to pivot the third line in a defensive capacity against the opponent’s leading scorers. He rose to the challenge, covering opposing shooters and killing penalties, alongside fellow defensive forward Claude Provost.

One of the strongest skaters in the league, Backstrom was fast enough to play deep in the offensive zone, relentlessly forecheck an opposing defenseman, and still get back in time to catch a puck-carrying forward skating towards the Montreal net.

Making the most of his offensive chances, Backstrom regularly made it onto the score sheet. He scored 20 or more goals five times in 12 full seasons with the Habs and was a reliable playoff performer, often one of the most consistent point producers in the postseason.

By 1970, there was a new generation of players looking to crack the Canadiens’ lineup. Knowing his days with the team were numbered, Backstrom asked for a trade, ideally to a West Coast team where he might be able to add a few years to his career. Sam Pollock obliged, sending the six-time Stanley Cup winner to Los Angeles.

Reborn as an offensive force, Backstrom recorded 27 points in the last 33 games of the campaign, lifting the Kings out of last place in the NHL’s western division. As a result of the veteran center’s scoring streak, the Habs were able to use the last-place Oakland Seals’ first overall draft pick to select Guy Lafleur, who would star for the Canadiens for the next 14 seasons.

After three productive years in Los Angeles, Backstrom played briefly with the Blackhawks before spending four years in the WHA, retiring after the 1976-77 campaign.

Leaving the ice didn’t mean leaving hockey. In the 30 years since hanging up his skates, the outgoing and affable Backstrom has served as a coach, an executive and owner.