MILTON — To be sure, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is hoping to enjoy some special moments with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 33-year-old is fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers, and it’s safe to assume he’d love nothing more than another deep post-season run with his new club.
That said, despite not having his first shift with the Buds just yet, Ekman-Larsson has already been part of a touching Toronto hockey moment. Nearly two years ago, Ekman-Larsson’s countryman, Borje Salming, arrived in Toronto for the annual Hall of Fame Weekend that occurs each November. At the time, Ekman-Larsson was a member of the Vancouver Canucks. Emotions were stirring ahead of the 2022 contest with Toronto due to the fact Salming — a Hall-of-Famer who spent 15 years with the Leafs — was known to be battling ALS.
To mark the occasion, Salming dropped the puck at centre ice between two fellow Swedes — Maple Leaf William Nylander and Ekman-Larsson.
Salming passed away about two weeks later, and the memory of that Toronto occasion remains etched in Ekman-Larsson’s mind.
“It was a tough night, obviously seeing [Salming in the late stages of his life],” Ekman-Larsson said ahead of the Leafs annual golf tournament at RattleSnake Point Golf Club on Monday. “But also a night I will remember for the rest of my life, to get the chance to just hug him and say a couple words.”
Ekman-Larsson says he’s very aware of the Swedish connection to the Leafs, from Salming’s trail-blazing career, to the exploits of longtime captain Mats Sundin, to the present-day wizardry of Nylander.
Of course, there’s no expectation he’ll play a lead role for the club the way those guys did. The NHL veteran figures to slot in on the third pair, possibly with another guy from his home nation, Timothy Liljegren.
Exactly how things will shake out isn’t known yet, even to Ekman-Larsson. He arrived in Toronto a couple weeks ago, and though he’s been involved in some informal skates, he hasn’t had anything to indicate a steady defence buddy.
“We haven’t had any partners yet, so I can’t give you much on that,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re going to have to wait a few more days. It’s just fun to be here and skating with the guys. You know a lot from playing against everybody, but it’s just nice to see what they do every single day.”
Ekman-Larsson is similar to other summertime acquisitions made by Toronto in a few respects. Firstly, he’s one of a couple former Panthers who inked with the Buds, joining goalie Anthony Stolarz and depth forward Steven Lorentz, who’s on a professional tryout with Toronto. He’s also part of a blueline makeover that sees Chris Tanev and Jani Hakanpaa land from Dallas. While neither of those guys are coming off a Cup win like the Florida trio, Tanev was a big part of the Stars team that made the 2024 Western Conference Final, and Hakanpaa — who was sidelined by a knee injury he’s still recovering from last spring — played on the 2023 Stars side that won two playoff rounds.
As it happens, last year’s post-season success represented a page-turning moment for Ekman-Larsson. Prior to his storybook one-year run with the Cats, Ekman-Larsson’s teams made the playoffs during a full 82-game schedule just once in 13 campaigns, back when he was an NHL sophomore with the Phoenix — not even ‘Arizona’ — Coyotes in 2011-12.
Even if winning is a relatively new phenomenon in his hockey career, Ekman-Larsson is hopeful the experience he and other new faces bring to Toronto can help when it matters most.
“I think that’s why they brought us in and it’s nice knowing when you’ve gone through something like that, you kind of bring it with you,” he said.
Having gone many seasons with the curtain falling at Game 82 surely made Florida’s triumph sweeter for Ekman-Larsson. He fondly recalled having the Cup in his hometown this summer, celebrating with fans at a sold-out venue before having a bash with the trophy surrounded by a smaller group of friends and family later that night.
Like that moment with Salming, it’s something he’ll never forget.
“It’s a good day to enjoy it and see how happy everybody is for you and your family and to get the chance to thank everybody who helped me to get to that point,” he said. “That was very special and, at the same time, I think it was a good day to have to kind of end that year and focus on what’s next.”
Who knows, maybe what’s next is a second emotional Toronto moment.