| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Ekman-Larsson in January 2026 | |||
| Born | (1991-07-17)17 July 1991 (age 34) Karlskrona, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams | Toronto Maple Leafs Arizona Coyotes Vancouver Canucks Florida Panthers | ||
| National team |  Sweden | ||
| NHL draft | 6th overall,2009 Phoenix Coyotes | ||
| Playing career | 2010–present | ||
Oliver Oscar Emanuel Ekman-Larsson (Swedish pronunciation:[ˈɔ̌lːɪvɛrˈěːkmanˈlɑ̌ːʂɔn]; born 17 July 1991) is a Swedish professionalice hockey player who is adefenceman for theToronto Maple Leafs of theNational Hockey League (NHL).[1] Known by his initials "OEL", Ekman-Larsson was selected sixth overall by thePhoenix Coyotes in the2009 NHL entry draft. Previously seen as one of the NHL's top offensive defencemen, Ekman-Larsson led the Coyotes in scoring in both the2014–15 and2015–16 seasons. After 11 seasons with Arizona, Ekman-Larsson was traded to theVancouver Canucks in 2021, where he spent two seasons before signing with theFlorida Panthers. In his only season with the Panthers, Ekman-Larsson won theStanley Cup in2024.
Ekman-Larsson began his career atTingsryds AIF club of theHockeyAllsvenskan during the 2007–08 season, recording eight points in 27 games. He continued his career withLeksands IF, where he scored 44 points in two seasons in2008–09 and2009–10 in a total of 81 games. The 2009–10 season would be his last, as he would he drafted by theNational Hockey League'sPhoenix Coyotes.
Ekman-Larsson was selected sixth overall by Phoenix in the2009 NHL entry draft. On 24 May 2010, it was announced the Coyotes had signed Ekman-Larsson to an entry-level contract.[2] In the season following his draft selection, Ekman-Larsson produced the second-most points among junior players in the Allsvenskan,[3] despite missing several games while competing in the2010 World Junior Championships forSweden junior team.
Ekman-Larsson recorded his first NHL point through an assist on aKyle Turris goal in a 4–3 overtime win against theCarolina Hurricanes on 23 October 2010.[4] He scored his first NHL goal on 17 January 2011, in a 4–2 loss to theSan Jose Sharks.[5]
Ekman-Larsson played all 82 games during the2011–12 season recording 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points as the Coyotes finished the regular season in third place in theWestern Conference. On 12 April 2012, Ekman-Larsson made hisStanley Cup playoffs debut against theChicago Blackhawks as the Coyotes won the first game of the conference quarterfinals series 3–2 in overtime for a 1–0 series lead. Two days later, he then recorded his first NHL playoff assist and point on a goal byAntoine Vermette as the Coyotes lost to the Blackhawks 4–3 to even the series. On 23 April, in the sixth game of the series, Ekman-Larsson recorded his first NHL playoff in a 4–0 win over the Blackhawks, which was also the first playoff series win in Coyotes franchise history.[6] The Coyotes then defeated the fourth-seededNashville Predators in five games in the conference semifinals before falling in five games to the eighth-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup championLos Angeles Kings in the conference finals. He ended the2012 playoffs with a goal and three assists for four points in 16 games.
For the duration of the2012–13 NHL lockout, Ekman-Larsson, who was on the last year of his entry-level contract, was assigned to Phoenix'sAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, thePortland Pirates. After the lockout ended, he played all 48 games for the Coyotes in the shortened2012–13 season as the Coyotes failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and the first time in Ekman-Larsson's tenure.
On 6 March 2014, Ekman-Larsson scored his 100th NHL point in a 5–2 victory over theMontreal Canadiens. With Ekman-Larsson's contribution, it was the first time since 9 December 1998 the Coyotes had defeated Montreal.[7] At the conclusion of the2013–14 season, Ekman-Larsson finished seventh in balloting for theJames Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top defenceman during the regular season. His votes included three first-place votes, one second-place vote and two third-place votes.[8]
On 16 December 2014, Ekman-Larsson tied the Coyotes' franchise record for overtime-winning goals by a player in a single season after scoring his third of the season with 0.03 seconds left in overtime in a 2–1 win over theEdmonton Oilers.[9] Ekman-Larsson represented Arizona in the2015 NHL All-Star Game, assisting on a goal byBobby Ryan.[10] On 29 January 2015, during a game against theToronto Maple Leafs, Ekman-Larsson scored the fastest shorthanded goal to start a period in NHL history, againstJonathan Bernier five seconds into the third period.[11] Ekman-Larsson finished the2014–15 season with 23 goals and 20 assists. With this career milestone, Ekman-Larsson brokeNicklas Lidström's NHL record, becoming the first Swedish-born defenceman in NHL history to score more than 20 goals in one season.[12] Ekman-Larsson's 23 goals were the most scored by an NHL defenceman that season and tiedPhil Housley's franchise record for most goals scored by a defenceman in a season.[13]
On 19 December 2015, during a game against theNew York Islanders, Ekman-Larsson scored the lone goal of the game, which proved to be the game-winning goal. With this goal, Ekman-Larsson surpassedTeppo Numminen's franchise record for the most game-winning goals by a defenceman with the 20th in his career.[14] On 12 January 2016, Ekman-Larsson assisted on all three goals of rookieMax Domi's first careerhat-trick, and would later go on to set a career-high four-point night by scoring the overtime-winning goal against the Edmonton Oilers.[15] On 24 March, Ekman-Larsson inadvertently scored the game-winning goal in a 3–1 win over theDallas Stars. Initially credited to teammateMartin Hanzal, after further review the goal was shown to bounce off a Dallas player and into the net. With this game-winning goal, Ekman-Larsson set an NHL record for the most game-winning goals by a defenceman in a single season with eight, surpassingTim Horton,Al MacInnis,Ray Bourque,Derek Morris andDion Phaneuf.[16] He became just the second defenceman in franchise history to record 20 or more goals in consecutive seasons, after Housley.[17] Ekman-Larsson finished the2015–16 season ninth in balloting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy.[18]
In the2016–17 season, on 18 March 2017, during a game against the Nashville Predators, Ekman-Larsson scored his 40th career powerplay goal, tyingFredrik Olausson for the most by a defenceman inWinnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes history.[19] On 3 April, with the Coyotes out of playoff contention, Ekman-Larsson was granted a leave of absence for the remaining three regular seasons games in order to return to his native Sweden due to the death of his mother, following a prolonged battle with cancer.[20]
On 14 October 2017, in a game against theBoston Bruins, Ekman-Larsson scored his first powerplay goal of the season and moved ahead of Olausson for the franchise record for powerplay goals scored by a defenceman with his 41st.[21] On 10 January 2018, Ekman-Larsson was selected as the lone Coyotes representative at the2018 NHL All-Star Game.[22] On 10 March, Ekman-Larsson was fined $5,000 for slashingSven Andrighetto.[23] After the regular season concluded and the Coyotes again failed to make the playoffs, Ekman-Larsson was nominated for theKing Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and gives back to his community, ultimately ceding the award to bothHenrik andDaniel Sedin of theVancouver Canucks.[24]
On 1 July 2018, Ekman-Larsson signed an eight-year, $66 million contract extension with the Coyotes; he was set to become a free agent the following season.[25] He was later named captain of the Coyotes.[26][27] Ekman-Larsson was the last captain of the Coyotes before the franchise became inactive in 2024.[28]
On 23 July 2021, Ekman-Larsson waived his no-movement clause and was traded, along withConor Garland, to theVancouver Canucks in exchange forJay Beagle,Loui Eriksson,Antoine Roussel, a2021 first-round pick (Dylan Guenther), a2022 second-round pick and a2023 seventh-round pick.[29] Arizona retained 12 percent of Ekman-Larsson's salary as part of the transaction. He scored his first goal as a Canuck on 13 October, in a 3–2 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers.[30] On 7 April 2022, Ekman-Larsson played his first game against the Arizona Coyotes as a Canuck and got an assist in a 5–1 win on a goal byAlex Chiasson.[31][32]
On 16 June 2023, the Canucks bought out the final four years of his contract, making him anunrestricted free agent.[33][34]
On 1 July 2023, Ekman-Larsson signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with theFlorida Panthers.[35] Injuries toBrandon Montour andAaron Ekblad led to increased ice time, which along with chemistry withGustav Forsling promoted Ekman-Larsson to the Panthers' top power play unit.[36] He won theStanley Cup with the Panthers on 24 June 2024 when the Panthers defeated theEdmonton Oilers in game seven of the2024 Stanley Cup Final.[37]
On 1 July 2024, Ekman-Larsson signed a four-year, $14 million contract with theToronto Maple Leafs.[38] On the 13 November, he played his1,000th NHL game.[39]
 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Sweden | ||
| Men'sice hockey | ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
 | 2014 Sochi | |
| World Championships | ||
 | 2017 Germany/France | |
| 2018 Denmark | |
| 2011 Slovakia | |
 | 2010 Germany | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| 2010 Canada | |
Ekman-Larsson representedSweden junior team at the2010 World Junior Championships, where he was the highest-scoring defenceman on the team,[40] scoring five points in six games.
At the2010 World Championship, Ekman-Larsson played in nine games for the bronze medalists and was deemed to beSweden senior team's best player in the game againstNorway senior team.[41]
Ekman-Larsson was named captain of Sweden's team at the2019 World Championship.[42]
Ekman-Larsson's maternal grandfather,Kenneth Ekman,[43] also a defenceman, was selected to represent Sweden in the1972 Winter Olympics.Amanda Ilestedt, a Swedishfootballer, is Ekman-Larsson's cousin.[44] Their first cousins, twice removed are professional cyclists theFåglum brothers.[45] Ekman-Larsson's younger brother, Kevin, was previously signed with the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, theTucson Roadrunners.[46] In 2017, his mother died from cancer.[47] Ekman-Larsson has a son.[36]
In 2013, Ekman-Larsson founded OEL, a luxury clothing line based in Sweden.[48] Ekman-Larsson donated a lot of his free time as well as free tickets to Arizona Coyote games to various charities likeBig Brothers Big Sisters, the Arizona Burn Foundation, theWounded Warrior Project, and Best Buddies.[49] In 2019, Ekman-Larsson and fellow Arizona Coyotes welcomed a terminal cancer patient Leighton Accardo into the organization, with Ekman-Larsson insisting she do the team's face-off.[50]
In 2021, he sold his $6.5 million house in North Scottsdale toMilwaukee Brewers left fielderChristian Yelich.[51]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2006–07 | Tingsryds AIF | J18 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Tingsryds AIF | J18 Allsv | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Tingsryds AIF | J18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Tingsryds AIF | J18 Allsv | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Tingsryds AIF | Div.1 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Leksands IF | Allsv | 39 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | Leksands IF | Allsv | 42 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 98 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 48 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 15 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 32 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 20 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 48 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 80 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 23 | 20 | 43 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 75 | 21 | 34 | 55 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 79 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 14 | 28 | 42 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 81 | 14 | 30 | 44 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 66 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 2020–21 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 46 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 79 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 54 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 80 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 76 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 24 | ||
| 2024–25 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 77 | 4 | 25 | 29 | 52 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,059 | 148 | 352 | 500 | 684 | 62 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 48 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sweden | U18 | 5th | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Sweden | WJC |  | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | |
| 2010 | Sweden | WC | | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Sweden | WC |  | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Sweden | OG | | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2015 | Sweden | WC | 5th | 8 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 6 | |
| 2016 | Sweden | WCH | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2017 | Sweden | WC |  | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Sweden | WC | | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2019 | Sweden | WC | 5th | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Sweden | WC | 6th | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 12 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 14 | ||||
| Senior totals | 66 | 11 | 33 | 44 | 30 | ||||
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Star Game | 2015,2018 | |
| Stanley Cup champion | 2024 | [55] |
| International | ||
| World Championship All-Star Team | 2015,2018 | |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Phoenix Coyotes first round draft pick 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Arizona Coyotes captain 2018–2021 | None Franchise suspended operations |