"You know, you can't lose twice," says a smiling Backlund, who got nearly 11 minutes of ice time. "But it was a pretty good game for me. Definitely the biggest game of my life."

Swede Mikael Backlund has joined the Flames' prospects camp.

Photograph by : Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald

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From that night, he got the stats sheet, which, framed, is proudly displayed on a wall at home.

"It's kind of like an appetizer. You get a taste of it and you want more . . . so I'm real hungry to play more games."

First, though, these summer sessions.

But the true test for Backlund isn't this week. Nor is it the fall's rookie camp.

Rather, he's expected to make his pitch--and be given an extended look--at main camp.

Having ditched offensive talents such as Michael Cammalleri, Alex Tanguay, Todd Bertuzzi and Kristian Huselius in the past two off-season, the Flames are in the market for up-front skill.

But how much pause Backlund's cap hit--$1.27 million US--gives the Flames is another matter. Grade 10 math suggests the Calgarians are nosing ever closer to the salary max of $56.8 million US.

Which isn't Backlund's problem.

He just wants to stick.

"The NHL has always been my dream," says Backlund, "and that's where I want to play this season and the rest of my life. I'm dreaming and hoping that I make it this year."