Johan Backlund was born July 24, 1981 in Skelleftea, Sweden. After several seasons in the Swedish Elite League, Backlund signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers in March of 2009.
Backlund made his North American debut for the Flyers' AHL affiliate, Adirondack Phantoms, during the 2009-10 season, where the goaltender appeared in 41 games and put up solid numbers.
On March 27, 2010, Backlund made his NHL debut in a losing cause against the Pittsburgh Penguins.