Graciously, the man of the hour raised his goalie stick after sneaking a peek at his own in-game video tribute and highlight package produced by the Minnesota Wild.
The fans at Xcel Energy Center responded with a round of applause and a standing ovation.
But perhaps a bit poorly timed — like Niklas Backlund’s entire situation these past three weeks, actually — the public ‘Thank-you’ to the franchise’s all-time leader in wins, shut-outs, and games played was shown in the first period, shortly after he’d allowed two first-period goals from former teammate Zach Parise.
Parise completed the hat-trick on his old friend before the period was over, a perfect tip-in as the Minnesota winger snuck in the slot between Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie on a power-play.