Oliver Ekman-Larsson has had quite the start to 2024.
In the span of six months, the 33-year-old defenceman had a baby, won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers and signed a new four-year, $18 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
From his home country in Sweden, Ekman-Larsson spoke to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan about the whirlwind start to the year.
He told Morgan that the decision to leave the Panthers and join the Maple Leafs was a difficult one, but he decided to trust his instincts.
“You just won the Cup with a team that you have been battling with for a year and love so much and have so much respect for — the whole organization with what they have done for me personally — so it wasn’t an easy decision,” Ekman-Larsson said to Morgan.
“I am a guy that always tries to go with my gut feeling and when Toronto showed interest I got that feeling that this is what I wanted to do and this is what we wanted to do as a family.”
He also believes he will fit in seamlessly in Toronto, and is ready to help the Maple Leafs take the next step.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of history in the organization and I feel like they have a really good team that has a chance to do something special as well,” the defenceman told Morgan. “I think it’s a good fit.”
Ekman-Larsson, who spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Coyotes in Arizona, also told Morgan that he’s excited to reunite with general manager Brad Treliving and Shane Doan, who is an advisor to the general manager. Treliving and Doan, respectively, were also with the Coyotes organization during Ekman-Larsson’s time in Arizona.
“I don’t want to sound like I’m sucking up to him but Brad is one unbelievable person. I don’t think Toronto knows how lucky they are to have a guy like that who cares a lot about his surroundings and organization and players,” Ekman-Larsson said.
“And then the other guy (Doan), he’s OK, too. He meant so much to me with what he did for me when I was a kid in Arizona. Playing with a guy like that — I wish everybody had the chance to be around a guy like Doaner.”
The former Coyote, who was traded by Arizona to the Vancouver Canucks in 2021, told Morgan that he feels for the Coyotes fans after the loss of their team to Utah this off-season and thinks it’s a market worthy of an NHL team.
“I don’t think we have enough time for me to thank them enough for all they did for me, but I do think that they deserve better,” Ekman-Larsson said. “They deserve a team because of the way they have been supporting the Coyotes since I got there and even before that. I loved my time there and I love the fans. I really hope for the best for them.”
But for now, Ekman-Larsson is focused on enjoying his time as a Stanley Cup champion and spending time with his new son, Leo Phoenix Ekman-Larsson. Look familiar?
“His name is Leo. It’s OEL backwards,” Ekman-Larsson told Morgan with a laugh. We’re keeping it easy, you know?”
