Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Lore & Background

Ekman-Larsson began his professional career in Sweden with Tingsryds AIF of the HockeyAllsvenskan in 2007–08, recording eight points in 27 games. He then played for Leksands IF, scoring 44 points over two seasons before being drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2009. After signing an entry-level contract in May 2010, he made his NHL debut that October and scored his first goal in January 2011.

During the 2011–12 season, Ekman-Larsson played all 82 games and helped the Coyotes reach the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. He led the Coyotes in scoring in both 2014–15 and 2015–16, setting franchise and NHL records for defencemen. In 2015, he became the first Swedish-born defenceman to score more than 20 goals in a season, breaking Nicklas Lidström's record. He also set an NHL record for most game-winning goals by a defenceman in a single season (8) in 2015–16.

Ekman-Larsson was named captain of the Coyotes in 2018 after signing an eight-year contract extension. He was the last captain before the franchise became inactive in 2024. In July 2021, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, where he played two seasons before his contract was bought out. He signed a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers in 2023 and won the Stanley Cup in 2024.

Reader's Guide

Oliver Ekman-Larsson's career with the Arizona Coyotes spanned 11 seasons, during which he established himself as one of the NHL's top offensive defencemen. He led the team in scoring in consecutive seasons and set multiple franchise and league records, including the most game-winning goals by a defenceman in a single season. His 23-goal campaign in 2014–15 broke Nicklas Lidström's record for most goals by a Swedish-born defenceman in a season. Ekman-Larsson was selected to two NHL All-Star Games (2015, 2018) and was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2018 for his leadership and community work. He served as the Coyotes' captain from 2018 until the franchise became inactive in 2024. After being traded to Vancouver and later bought out, he joined the Florida Panthers and won the Stanley Cup in 2024, his only season with the team. His legacy in Arizona includes holding the franchise record for powerplay goals by a defenceman and being the last captain of the Coyotes.

Did You Know?

• Ekman-Larsson scored the fastest shorthanded goal to start a period in NHL history, five seconds into the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 29 January 2015.
• He was the last captain of the Arizona Coyotes before the franchise became inactive in 2024.

From Swedish Rink to NHL Spotlight

Oliver Ekman-Larsson's path to professional hockey began on the ice of Tingsryds AIF in the HockeyAllsvenskan, where during the 2007–08 campaign he posted eight points across 27 appearances. He then moved to Leksands IF, where over two seasons he accumulated 44 points in 81 games, establishing himself as a standout offensive defenceman in Swedish junior hockey. His talent did not go unnoticed by North American scouts: in the 2009 NHL entry draft, the Phoenix Coyotes selected him sixth overall. On 24 May 2010, the Coyotes formalized the relationship by signing him to an entry-level contract. Even while competing for Sweden's junior national team at the 2010 World Junior Championships, Ekman-Larsson still managed to produce the second-highest point total among junior players in the Allsvenskan that season, a testament to his consistency and competitive drive. His first NHL point arrived on 23 October 2010, an assist on Kyle Turris's goal in a 4–3 overtime thriller against Carolina, and his first NHL goal followed on 17 January 2011 in a 4–2 loss to San Jose.

Record-Breaking Offensive Prowess

Ekman-Larsson redefined what a defenceman could contribute offensively in the NHL. In the 2014–15 season, he tallied 23 goals and 20 assists, a mark that shattered Nicklas Lidström's longstanding benchmark and made him the first Swedish-born defenceman in league history to cross the 20-goal threshold in a single campaign. His 23 goals also tied Phil Housley's franchise record for most by a defenceman in a season. The following year, 2015–16, he matched that feat again, becoming only the second defenceman in Coyotes history after Housley to record 20 or more goals in back-to-back seasons. He also set a league-wide record for the most game-winning goals by a defenceman in a single season with eight, surpassing legends like Tim Horton, Al MacInnis, Ray Bourque, Derek Morris, and Dion Phaneuf. His offensive dominance earned him a seventh-place finish in Norris Trophy voting in 2013–14, including three first-place ballots, and a ninth-place finish in 2015–16. He was also named to the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, where he assisted on Bobby Ryan's goal.

Defining Moments on the Ice

Few moments in Ekman-Larsson's career capture his clutch gene as vividly as the five-second shorthanded goal he scored against Jonathan Bernier on 29 January 2015, a strike that still stands as the fastest shorthanded goal to open a period in NHL history. On 16 December 2014, he tied the Coyotes' franchise record for overtime-winning goals in a single season by burying his third of the year with just 0.03 seconds remaining in a 2–1 victory over Edmonton. His playoff debut in 2012 carried historic weight: in the sixth game against Chicago, he recorded his first NHL playoff goal in a 4–0 win that marked the first playoff series victory in Coyotes franchise history. In March 2016, a goal initially credited to Martin Hanzal was reattributed to Ekman-Larsson after review, and that inadvertent strike set his single-season game-winning goal record. He also assisted on all three goals of rookie Max Domi's career hat-trick in January 2016, showcasing his playmaking vision beyond his own scoring.

A Journey Beyond One Franchise

Ekman-Larsson's eleven-year tenure with the Arizona Coyotes defined his identity as the team's leading scorer in both 2014–15 and 2015–16, but his career arc extended well beyond one franchise. After the 2021 trade to the Vancouver Canucks, he spent two seasons in the Pacific Northwest before signing with the Florida Panthers. That single season in Florida proved to be his crowning achievement: in 2024, Ekman-Larsson lifted the Stanley Cup, the ultimate prize in professional hockey. His journey also included a brief stint with the Portland Pirates during the 2012–13 lockout, a leave of absence in April 2017 to return to his native Sweden, and a 2012 playoff run that saw Arizona defeat Chicago and Nashville before falling to the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings. Now a defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the player known to fans simply as "OEL" continues to bring his offensive instincts and two-way reliability to a new chapter in his career.

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