David Backes: ‘I’m never looking to hurt anyone out there’

How do you view David Backes of the St. Louis Blues?

We’re more interested in how David Backes sees himself.

After he demolished Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner on Sunday and was ejected from the game, some wondered it Backes would get a wakey, wakey call from the NHL. But the play was what it was: Brutal hit, blood, but ultimately worth only an ejection.

So we were interested to read his comments to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post Dispatch about the lack of supplemental discipline, and how he views his game:

Backes was thankful that the NHL's Player Safety Department saw the hit on the Capitals' Karl Alzner the way hit did, deciding not to issue supplemental discipline.

"Yeah, it's nine years now and I've had one major penalty that was quickly rescinded right after that," Backes recalled. "Now this one, where I think it's pretty benign — he hops back up and doesn't miss a shift.

"Never looking to hurt anyone out there. The rules are the rules, I guess, and if there's blood, (then the ejection was warranted). But the result is, the guys had one heck of a penalty kill for that five minutes, really got momentum off that and played a heck of a game ... They really picked me up."

For a guy that plays on the edge as much as Backes, that “one major penalty in nine years” thing seemed like a reach. But looking back on it, here’s what we have in his last five seasons:

For comparison’s sake, here’s Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings:

Two captains, two guys that play on the edge, two guys that receive some criticism for “not answering the bell” when they do cross the line … but two guys that don’t often corss the line, to would seem.

David Backes, the Lady Byng of pummeling power forwards. Who knew?

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