Stanley Cup champion Oliver Ekman-Larsson forced by John Tavares to change number with Toronto Maple Leafs

Oliver Ekman-Larsson just won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, but that didn't stop John Tavares from making the new Leaf change his number.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson had worn number 91 during his short time with the Florida Panthers fresh off their Stanley Cup Championship run. Signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, though, will force Ekman-Larsson to choose a new number for this season as number 91 is currently donned by the team leader and assistant captain John Tavares.

Ekman-Larsson's number for the Maple Leafs this 2024-25 season is going to be 95. He considered it to be a choice for some personal reasons in his life.

Ekman-Larsson was originally selected sixth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes. He had been wearing number 23 while being with the Coyotes, where he was counted as one of their better defensemen. He finally relinquished it on July 23, 2021, when he waived his no-movement clause and agreed to a trade that sent him, along with Conor Garland, to the Vancouver Canucks. With the Canucks, Ekman-Larsson was able to get his number back and once again continued wearing number 23.

However, after two seasons with the Canucks, they opted to buy out the remaining four years of his contract on June 16, 2023, making him an unrestricted free agent. He wouldn't have to wait that long as on July 1, 2023, he signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with the Florida Panthers. In Florida, Ekman-Larsson wore number 91 once again.

Now a Maple Leaf, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has spent several weeks in Toronto getting to know his new teammates on and off the ice. A veteran defenceman signed for an AAV of $3.5 million, Ekman-Larsson seems excited to embrace all that comes with playing in Toronto's high-pressure market. Early signs show he is fitting in with the new squad, and management hopes his presence may give them the experience needed for more depth on the blue line in the coming season.

Let's hope the number change won't affect Oliver Ekman-Larsson all that much.

Source: Hockey Patrol
John Tavares forces new Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to change his number

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