Backes Bolts for Blues

Senior forward Rankin also lands professional contract

by Dan Myers
March 21, 2006

Minnesota State men’s hockey forward David Backes decided to forego his senior season with the Mavericks last week after signing a professional contract with the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues.

The junior from Blaine, Minn., tallied 43 goals and 73 assists throughout his three seasons in a Maverick uniform. The totals rank him 23rd in school history with 119 points, but third since the team moved to Division I. He led the Mavericks in scoring during the last two seasons, including 2005-06, where he posted 13 goals and 29 assists.

“When the offer I got came on the table, it was awfully hard to refuse. There is no doubt about that,” Backes said. “It just became too much, and I thought it was a good time to move on.”

In Backes, MSU will lose its captain, as well as a 4.0 GPA student.

“You don’t ever replace a David Backes, you’re just happy you had him,” said Mavericks head coach Troy Jutting. “Long term, it’s a good thing because it exposes the program. But short term, it’s definitely going to hurt.”

Backes is coming off his best season as a Maverick, with his 42 points establishing a career high. He was named to the 2003-04 WCHA All-Rookie team as well as the All-WCHA third-team last season.

“I have absolutely zero regrets,” Backes said. “I could not have asked any more of the people, the town and the team. I was given the opportunity to play and hopefully I hope I didn’t disappoint.”

Backes will start the season with the Blues’ minor league team in Peoria, Ill., before making an attempt to make the NHL squad next season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Senior forward Rob Rankin also inked a professional contract with the Pensacola Ice Pilots of the East Coast Hockey League.

Rankin, an Eagan, Minn., native set career highs this past season with 12 goals and 11 assists, and is expected to give the Ice Pilots some goal scoring punch next season. But a stipulation in his contract says the team will fly Rankin to Florida each weekend for the next month to play for the team. Every Sunday, Rankin will fly back to Minnesota in order to graduate this spring.

“They are definetly spending some money to get me,” said Rankin, who will delay the start of a career with Federated Insurance company in the Twin Cities in order to continue playing hockey. “My dad told me I have my whole life to work. I might as well get paid to play a little hockey.”