Oliver Ekman-Larsson is living the dream.
In early April, he raised his new baby boy in his arms.
Two and a half months later, he raised the Stanley Cup in his arms when the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, in Game 7 of the Cup Final in Sunrise, Florida.
Eight days after that, he raised his phone to his ear and agreed to a four-year, $14 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, reuniting him with his former assistant GM in Arizona, Brad Treliving, and his former captain with the Coyotes, Shane Doan, both of whom are now executives with the Leafs.
When I caught up with OEL on Thursday — after he had completed a round of golf in his home country of Sweden — he was in good spirits and ready to talk about winning the Cup, fatherhood, his choice of a name for his son, his decision to play under hockey’s hottest spotlight, and his undying love for the Valley of the Sun.
Let’s start with the obvious, how does it feel to hoist the Stanley Cup?
Ekman-Larsson: “It feels amazing. That’s the dream, right? You just never know if you’re gonna get that chance. You put in a lot of hard work and a lot of other teams are trying to do the same thing. I don’t think it’s gotten to me yet how cool it is; how special it is. You win and then it’s a party, another party, team dinners, another party, spending time with all the girlfriends and wives and then the parade and more parties.”
How would you describe the feeling of playing in the Stanley Cup Final?
Ekman-Larsson: “It’s hard to describe, but I would want everybody to get that chance because it’s special. It’s a lot of pressure and there’s so much on the line, but I was just so thrilled to have that chance to be playing for the Cup with a special group of guys. I think I was smiling every day and just trying to just enjoy it. And when we won it, I couldn’t sleep for two nights after that.”
What do you plan on doing for your day with the Cup?
Ekman-Larsson: I haven’t planned it yet but probably just in my hometown Tingsryd (Sweden). I’m so happy and just thrilled that I get to share it with my family and my fiancée (Maja Ericsson) and now my kid.”
When was your son born and what’s his name?
Ekman-Larsson: “He was born April 8. His name is Leo. It’s OEL backwards (laughs). We’re keeping it easy, you know? Do you want to know his middle name?”
Of course!
Ekman-Larsson: “Phoenix. It’s Leo Phoenix Ekman-Larsson.”
I’m dead.
Ekman-Larsson: “I thought you’d like that.”
As long as you’re confirming your love of the Valley, when you look back on the trade from Arizona to Vancouver and then getting bought out in Vancouver, what was your state of mind going through those tough times?
Ekman-Larsson: “I was so invested in hockey in Arizona and really wanted it to be a place we would have a chance to win. I really believed in the market and I believed in the organization so it was tough. It was home and it’s all I knew at that point. It was hard to leave but you learn as a young player that anything is possible. You see your own teammates getting traded. I remember my first first year in Arizona when I got sent down [to the AHL), I was devastated. I remember saying goodbye to all the guys and I think I was crying at one point, saying goodbye to Doaner and Ray Whitney.
“Looking back, I think that made me a better player and going through tough times and good times in Arizona helped me to appreciate being in the NHL and it helped me to handle tough times when they came again.
“Again, I wanted it to work in Arizona, but things happen. We got a new GM and Bill [Armstrong] had his own schedule and the way he wanted to build the team. I never wanted to be in the way of something that is not meant to be. You want to feel the love and you want them to want you on the team. It just felt like it was time to agree with his approach so I just wished him luck and then I moved on.”
When you became a free agent after the buyout in Vancouver, why did you choose Florida which, in hindsight, was a great choice?
Ekman-Larsson: “It just felt like it was a good fit. Knowing what they did the year before in the playoffs helped, but I also felt like there was some room for improvement at the same time. For a guy like me who was looking for a spot, I wanted to win the Cup and I felt like Florida was the best spot for that with all the experience they gained the year before and the players that they have there. It turned out great.”
By the end of that Cup run, you were playing a key role including running the top power play. I assume that was gratifying?
Ekman-Larsson: “At the start of the season with [Brandon] Montour and [Aaron] Ekblad being out [with injuries], I knew it was gonna be a good fit coming in and playing power play and getting the chance to get right into it. And then obviously playing with Gustav Forsling, another Swedish player that been there for a couple years as a leader for that team, that helped me out. We had good chemistry so right away, I was playing and feeling good. When you’re feeling good you have that confidence in your game
“When Montour and Ekblad came back from injuries, I got asked if it was hard playing less minutes. Not at all. It was easy because it was all about winning. It was all about the team. It didn’t really matter if I was playing five minutes or 25. That’s how that room is and that’s why we won it.”
The crazy thing about this year’s schedule is that eight days after you won the Cup, you were a free agent and signed with Toronto. How did you navigate that week emotionally?
Ekman-Larsson: “It’s so weird. 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. 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.
“I’ve always liked coming in there as an away team, playing in that building. It’s always special. 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. I think it’s a good fit.”
What are your thoughts on being reunited with Brad Treliving and Shane Doan?
Ekman-Larsson: “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. And then the other guy, 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.”
A lot of Coyotes fans were living vicariously through you as you made your run to the Cup. Coyotes fans are obviously hurting right now with the loss of the team. What would you like to say to them?
Ekman-Larsson: “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. 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.
“I know everybody is hurting and I was too when it happened because I was a big part of it for a long time. It’s such a great place to play and the fans are great so I really want to say thanks for cheering me on because I felt the love throughout the playoffs. So many people reached out and said it was nice that I got the chance to win the Cup. It was nice to give them something to feel good about.
“So many people deserve credit for welcoming me in and cheering me on while I was in Arizona. Obviously, my parents are a big part of that, but all the fans that were cheering me on and stuck with me throughout this whole thing, they deserve credit for this, too. Without them, we don’t play.”
Top photo of OEL raising the Stanley Cup via Getty Images
