Nicklas Backstrom
📸: Ian Oland/RMNB

Nicklas Backstrom is a confirmed draw.

The 37-year-old centerman was announced as the newest Brynäs IF player earlier this week and is already having a massive positive impact on the club. Brynäs revealed Tuesday that they have already sold over 2,500 season tickets, which is a new team record.

“In light of yesterday’s pleasant news, we have now surpassed last year’s record for the number of series and season tickets sold!” the team tweeted as translated by X. “Join the 2,501 other Brynäs supporters – secure your ticket today!”

Backstrom has played for the Gävle-based team before, coming up through their junior ranks and playing three seasons with their senior team, but that was before he became a star in the NHL. In 17 seasons with the Washington Capitals after his first stint with Brynäs, Backstrom recorded 1,033 points (271g, 762a) in 1,105 career games.

The former fourth overall draft pick also won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 and provided 279 assists to longtime linemate Alex Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record this past year.

“Sales went through the roof after yesterday’s presentation by Backstrom,” Brynäs’s commercial manager, Jakob Westerlund, told Radiosporten, per a translation by Google Translate.

Brynäs is also expected to be one of the top teams in the SHL again after only adding more firepower to a roster that finished atop the league’s standings this past season. The club has won the second-most SHL titles in the league’s history (13), but has not won one since 2012.