Two-time All-Star and former Coyotes Captain brings veteran experience to Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, July 1, 2023SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a one-year, one-way contract.
“Oliver is a highly skilled defenseman with exceptional hockey sense and poise on the ice,” said Zito. “His veteran leadership and competitive nature make him a strong addition to our blue line.”
Ekman-Larsson, 31, has accumulated 439 points in 902 career NHL games with Arizona (2010-11 to 2020-21) and Vancouver (2021-22 to 2022-23).
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound native of Karlskrona, Sweden is the Coyotes franchise leader in goals (128), power-play goals (55) by a defenseman. Ekman-Larsson secured eight points (2-6-8) in 25 career postseason games (2011-12 and 2019-20) with Arizona. He represented Arizona in two NHL All-Star Games (2015 and 2018) and served as the captain of the Coyotes from 2018 to 2021 before being acquired by Vancouver in July 2021.
Ekman-Larsson set the NHL record for most game-winning goals (GWG) by a defenseman with eight during the 2015-16 season and is tied for second among active NHL defenseman with 32 GWG’s since the 2010-11 season. He also became the first Swedish-born defenseman in NHL history to score more than 20 goals in a single season when he scored 23 in the 2014-15 campaign.
On the international stage, Ekman-Larsson led Sweden’s defensemen in scoring with five points in six games (2-3-5) and took home a bronze medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship before going on to win another bronze at the 2010 IIHF World Championship. He also competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics where he posted three points (0-3-3) in six games to secure the silver medal.
Ekman-Larsson earned gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 IIHF World Championships and served as captain of Sweden during the 2019 IIHF World Championship while leading the team in scoring by a defenseman with eight points (3-5-8).
Prior to his professional career, Ekman-Larsson skated in 81 games over two seasons (2008-2009 to 2009-10) with Leksands IF of the Swedish second division collecting 44 points (12-32-44).
Ekman-Larsson was originally drafted in the first round (6th overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Draft.
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