Former Leafs captain John Tavares forces Stanley Cup champion Oliver Ekman-Larsson to change his number
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Samer Dagher
Sep 18, 2024 (3:49 PM)
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Photo credit: Toronto Sun
Oliver Ekman-Larsson may have just won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, but joining the Toronto Maple Leafs means he had to change his number.
Ekman-Larsson wore number 91 with the Panthers, but since that number belongs to team captain John Tavares, he had to pick a new one for the 2024-25 season.
Ekman-Larsson will now wear number 95 for the Maple Leafs.
"My brother is born '95, 1995. So I went with that," Ekman-Larsson said on Monday morning at the Maple Leafs' annual charity golf tournament in Milton, Ontario.
Originally selected sixth overall in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes, Ekman-Larsson wore number 23 during his time there and was one of their top defensemen. He continued wearing 23 after being traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 2021, but after two seasons, the Canucks bought out the remaining years of his contract, making him a free agent.
He signed with the Florida Panthers on July 1, 2023, for one year, and wore number 91 during their Stanley Cup-winning season. Now with the Maple Leafs, Ekman-Larsson is settling in with his new teammates and excited to take on the challenge of playing in Toronto's high-pressure market. The veteran defenseman, signed for $3.5 million per year, is expected to add depth to the Leafs blue line this season.
Let's hope the number change won't impact his performance.
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