Maple Leafs’ Ekman-Larsson: ‘I’ll keep playing hockey until they have to carry me off the ice’
This story appeared on hockeysverige.se this week and has been translated from Swedish to English.
On Wednesday night, Oliver Ekman-Larsson earned his place in an elite group.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Washington Capitals 4–3 on the road, the 33-year-old from Tingsryd, Sweden, played his 1,000th NHL game. He became just the 20th Swede in history to reach the prestigious milestone.
Speaking to Swedish media the following day, he admitted that the achievement hadn’t fully sunk in yet.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” OEL said. “I don’t think I fully grasp it yet. It’s still so fresh. Honestly, I didn’t think about it much until about a week ago when we started planning things.
“But it feels great, and I’m proud to have been in the league this long, to have played so many games, and – knock on wood – to have stayed healthy. It’s not something many people get to experience.”
Ekman-Larsson was drafted sixth overall by the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2009. He made his NHL debut just over a year later, logging nearly 24 minutes of ice time in a 5–2 win against the Boston Bruins in Prague on October 9, 2010.
Fourteen years later, he has plenty of memories to reflect on. It wasn’t an easy question to answer when asked to single out the highlights.
“It’s so hard to pick, but the draft is definitely up there… Having family, friends, everyone there. You don’t know if you’re going to be drafted or even get a chance, and then it happens. But even then, you don’t know if you’ll play a single game.
“So, for me, it’s the draft, my first game, and, of course, winning the Stanley Cup. But one thing I know for sure is how grateful I am for all the amazing people I’ve met along the way and still keep in touch with. Hockey has given me so much on this journey.”
The tough moments have also played a significant role in shaping Ekman-Larsson’s career. He endured many difficult years with the Coyotes without playoff hockey, followed by two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. He was eventually bought out of his contract there, a setback he believes has ultimately made him stronger.
“There’s a lot I can look back on and feel like I’ve learned just as much from the tough times as from the successes,” said Ekman-Larsson. “Those experiences have helped me grow as a person.”
Despite becoming a Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers this year, the veteran defenseman hasn’t seen an abundance of playoff action throughout his career. Before this year’s triumph, he had only played 25 playoff games over 13 seasons. That void, however, has been filled with numerous World Championship appearances. Ekman-Larsson has rarely turned down the chance to wear the Swedish national team jersey, amassing two golds, one silver, and one bronze across seven tournaments. He’s also the highest-scoring Swedish defenseman in World Championship history with 41 points in 56 games.
“When I was growing up, I’d watch guys like (Peter) Forsberg, (Nicklas) Lidström, and (Mats) Sundin – all those legends coming back to play for Tre Kronor,” he said. “That really left an impression on me, shaping how I view representing the national team. It was actually my first dream, to play for Tre Kronor, long before I even started dreaming about the NHL.
“And as you get older, I think you appreciate it even more in some ways. If it’s possible, I’ll be there. I love playing hockey; it’s the most fun thing in the world. So I’ll keep playing hockey until they have to carry me off the ice,” he added with a laugh.
That passion for hockey has been the driving force behind his journey to 1,000 NHL games.
“It’s those extra hours you put in on the ice from a young age,” Ekman-Larsson reflected. “I’d watch practices, and then suddenly a team was short a player, so I’d jump in. Before I knew it, I was doing three or four practices in a single day.
“Mostly, it’s that drive – all the work and time you put into summer training, preparation, and everything else. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve embraced that even more. And maybe that’s why I’ve been able to reach this milestone of 1,000 games.”
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