Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who most recently played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
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He is the son of Annika Ekman and Patrik Larsson. His mother died after a 10-year battle with cancer that began in the breasts and lungs but metastasized to other parts of her body in 2018.
Kenneth Ekman, his maternal grandfather was also a defenseman who represented Sweden at the 1972 Winter Olympics. His younger brother Kevin Ekman-Larsson was previously signed with the Coyotes AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.
He now plays for the second-tier club BIK Karlskoga in Sweden. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was drafted sixth overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
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Many considered Ekman-Larsson to be one of the NHL’s top offensive defensemen, leading the Coyotes in scoring in both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Ekman-Larsson was named captain of Sweden’s international team at the 2019 World Championships. In July 2021, Ekman-Larsson was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with Conor Garland in a trade between the Canucks and the Coyotes.
The Canucks purchased the final four years of his contract on June 16, 2023, making him an unrestricted free agent.
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