Everyone connected with the Vancouver Canucks remembers how special it was, when Tyler Myers reached 1,000 NHL games last month. There was a pregame ceremony ahead of the home contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, and it was an emotional evening all around.
Well, there was another player with Canucks connections, who also reached 1,000 NHL games on Wednesday night. However, this time it was someone who no longer actually plys his trade in Vancouver.
We're talking about Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who now plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And on Wednesday night, he played his 1,000th game in the NHL in what turned out to be a thrilling 4-3 overtime win on the road in Washington, against the Capitals.
As per the NHLPA on social media, Ekman-Larsson is the third active Swedish defenceman to hit 1,000 NHL career games. After finally winning his first Stanley Cup ring last season as part of the Florida Panthers, he now gets to add a silver stick to his collection of accolades.
The 33-year-old's time in Vancouver wasn't particularly great for him, after he arrived in a trade from the then Arizona Coyotes in July 2021. However, the Canucks would subsequently buy out the final four years of his contract following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. (The other player who arrived from Arizona was Conor Garland, who is of course still with the team.)
Ekman-Larsson to this day, doesn't feel great about how things played out during his time in Vancouver. As per Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, he said:
""It didn’t work out the way I wanted. There were some good things and some bad things there. I’ve said this before — nobody wants to get bought out (by a team). I didn’t expect that and I’m still sorry about how everything went there.""
There are plenty of people (i.e. fans) angry at the two-time NHL All-Star, due to how his buyout continues to impact the Canucks' annual payroll. As per PuckPedia, his cap hit is $2,346,667 for this season, $4,766,667 the next two seasons, and then $2,126,667 in 2027-28 before finally coming off the books.
In fairness to Ekman-Larsson though, there's plenty of blame to go around. As he said:
""I was there for two seasons. I had three coaches and two general managers.""
In any event, it all worked out for the Sweden native, as he signed a one-year deal to join the Panthers. He was a regular for the team throughout the regular season and playoffs, as he helped them win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
As a lot of people feel as they go through life in general, Ekman-Larsson finds it tough to comprehend how long he's played in the NHL. As per Dave McCarthy of NHL.com, he said:
""It doesn’t feel like I’ve been around for that long. You dream about playing one game in this league, and here I am 15 years later. You feel very fortunate that you’ve got a chance to play for a long time. It’s not easy to stick in this league, so it’s a lot of work that goes into it.""
In a telling sign of why the 2009 sixth overall draft pick has lasted so long in the NHL, he still doesn't feel statisfied with everything he's accmomplished. He said:
""I think it’s the opposite. I feel like you win and then you get the summer, and you realise how much fun it is to win, how much fun it is to battle with the guys in the room and it gives you (more of a purpose.""
It remains to be seen how much longer Ekman-Larsson has left in the NHL, but he continues to enjoy himself and work hard, which is a testament to him. An indication of his continued enthusiasm and dedication, is that following Wednesday night's slate of NHL games he is tied-20th among all defencemen, with 29 hits.
With that kind of commitment, he won't be retiring anytime soon. As he said:
""I love watching video and skating in the summer, I love working on those details. If you don’t want to get better every year, then you are probably on your way out.""