Either you own them or they own you.' Without him teaching me those lessons, I don't know if I would have had a fraction of the success that I did. He always said, 'Stand up for yourself and show a strong front and you will own your opponent.

Over the course of that season and spending time with 'Kinger,' he taught me the importance of mental strength and the game within the game - something I had very little insight on. DJ was the team's known enforcer and someone I found to be intimidating because of his imposing stature and the fact that he had more toughness in his pinky finger than I did in my whole body. I didn't stay up with the Blues coming out of that first camp and when I got sent down to the Peoria Rivermen, I needed a roommate. I was somehow selected in the second round of the NHL Draft and the seed began to sprout that I may be able to play hockey after college.Īfter playing three years of college hockey at Minnesota State University - Mankato, I signed a two-year entry-level deal with St. Louis Blues are proud to select - from the Lincoln Stars of the USHL - David Backes.' 'With the 62nd pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, St. I wasn't sure when that might be or by who, and each selection seemed to agonizingly pass by. In 2003, I remember sitting in the stands alongside my parents at the NHL Draft in Nashville and praying I'd hear my name called. I was never the most talented kid on the ice and rarely knew what the next step in my journey would be, but I showed up, gave everything I had and approached the next opportunity with a full heart and open eyes. I was a pigeon-toed kid from Minnesota without any family connection to the game and somehow I played 15 years in the NHL.

Hockey is a game with a lot of numbers, stats and analytics, but what I will remember most when I look back on my career are the experiences I was blessed with and the relationships that were created. That didn't happen, but as God would have it, I ended up making a career where numbers were still important - in the National Hockey League. I liked numbers so much that I was planning on making a career out of them in electrical engineering. He also penned this heartfelt goodbye to say thank you to everyone who played a part in his storied 15-year NHL career. On Thursday, Backes signed a one-day contract with St.

Louis, and that was never more evident than on May 5 when he suited up for what would be his final game at Enterprise Center.

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