Maple Leafs’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson to play for Sweden at upcoming IIHF World Championship
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to suit up for Team Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, per The Leafs Nation’s Nick Alberga.
Ekman-Larsson has already represented Sweden internationally once this season, playing in his country’s colours at February’s Winter Olympics. He played in all five matches for Sweden, averaging 10:27 TOI/game, as Sweden was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the United States. He did not register a point.
The 34-year-old has also made a number of other appearances for his country through his storied career. That includes six IIHF World Championships, two Olympic Games, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2010 World Junior Championship.
Amidst a disastrous season, especially on the blue line, Ekman-Larsson managed to hold steady as the team’s best defender. He finished the season with eight goals and 31 assists for 39 points in 78 games, his highest tally since the 2018-19 season. He was one of only two Leafs blue liners to finish with a positive goal differential at 5-on-5 (the other being Chris Tanev, who made just 11 appearances). In early April, he was named Toronto’s nominee for this year’s edition of the Bill Masterton Trophy. The award is given annually by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”
Ekman-Larsson is just the latest Maple Leaf that has been announced as part of the upcoming World Championships. Earlier this week, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Morgan Rielly would be part of Canada’s blue line in Switzerland, joining John Tavares who announced he would play earlier this month. Additionally, Brad Treliving and Jason Spezza, two former members of Toronto’s front office, will lead Hockey Canada’s management group at the tournament.
This year’s tournament will be hosted between two cities in Switzerland, Zurich and Fribourg. Canada and Sweden kick off their campaigns in a head-to-head matchup as part of the opening day of competition on May 15th. The final is scheduled for May 31st. Sweden has earned bronze in back-to-back years, while Canada hasn’t finished on the podium since 2023.
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