Ekman-Larsson brings Stanley Cup home to Sweden, pays homage to late mother

Oliver Ekman-Larsson returned to his native Sweden a Stanley Cup champion Thursday when the 33-year-old defenseman took in the emotions of showing off hockey's greatest prize for the first time in his 14-season NHL career. 

"It's unreal and real at the same time," Ekman-Larsson said from Dackehallen, a rink in Tingsryd. "All the emotions and all the time you spent here, and everyone who comes here and shows their support. Then obviously some are here for the trophy as well, people are interested in it, but I'm so grateful."

Ekman-Larsson's next move was spending time with friends and family, which included bringing the Cup to the cemetery and paying respect to his mother Annika, who died of breast and lung cancer in 2017.

"That's something that is high on the list," he said.

Ekman-Larsson signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers on July 1, 2023, after he had the final four years of his contract bought out by the Vancouver Canucks. His 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 80 games and six points (two goals, four assists) in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games helped Ekman-Larsson and the Panthers each win the Cup for the first time. He also became one of eight defensemen in NHL history to win his first NHL championship after playing at least 980 regular-season games (982).

"I felt pretty early that Florida was a good option," Ekman-Larsson said during an on-ice interview inside Dackehallen. "They had been in the Stanley Cup Final the year before and I felt that they had the experience and the players that was needed, so at the end it turned out to be a great choice. It's easy to say after, but here we are."

Ekman-Larsson signed a four-year, $14 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1.

"It's going to be a lot of fun," he said. "The whole journey from winning to getting to decide what to do in the future, it's also a part of settling in. Toronto reached out and it tingled a little extra in the stomach. We are really excited to start the new season over there, it's going to be a lot of fun. It's a lot of history and culture in that organization."

NHL.com/sv independent correspondent Peter Ekholm contributed to this report