best))))) (Photo credit: dynamo.ru)

With the the National Hockey League and the Players Association making no further movement towards ending the lockout, Nicklas Backstrom officially made his move to the KHL today. Backstrom and Dynamo Moscow agreed in principle to a one-year deal, that will be severed only if the NHL lockout ends.

Per Dynamo Moscow’s official website, Backstrom will sign his contract on Saturday.

Backstrom’s physical is planned for Saturday morning after which he’ll have his first training session with the club. Tomorrow night, Nicklas will then come to cheer for Dynamo in an away game against Atlant Mytyschi [Editor’s note: Mytyschi is a Moscow suburb].

The coolest part of the release, however, is the announcement of Backstrom’s new number. With Dynamo left-winger Denis Kokarev already wearing #19, Nicky has decided to wear #99, which is retired in the NHL for Wayne Gretzky. Backstrom will be the second player in KHL history to ever wear the number. If that isn’t an obvious sign of Backstrom’s intent to be a big-time playmaker on this team, I don’t know what is.

Below, check out a few photos the team photographer took of Backstrom while getting a tour of the team’s practice facility in Novogorsk from BFF Alex Ovechkin. The bro hug is amazing.

Photos

View dynamo.ru’s full gallery here.

Translation by Fedor Fedin.