Ekman-Larsson wore #91 with the Florida Panthers before signing in Toronto.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has a new number ahead of his first season in the Maple Leafs organization.
The veteran defenseman is changing it up, switching from his old #91, Maple Leafs assistant captain John Tavares' current number, to #95 with Toronto. And there's a bit of meaning behind it too.
"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.
Oliver's brother, Kevin Ekman-Larsson, is also a professional hockey player. The 29-year-old spent two seasons with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, from 2017 to 2019. Kevin has since returned to his home country of Sweden and has played three of the last four seasons there.
When Kevin played with Tucson, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, Oliver played for Arizona. Ekman-Larsson, who signed a four-year, $14 million contract with Toronto on July 1, also discussed the disbanding of the Coyotes' franchise earlier this year.
"I think it's sad for the fan base down in Arizona. They have been putting a lot of time and effort into that," the veteran defenseman said. "So I mean, it's a big part of who I am as well. So it's sad to see it go that way."
Ekman-Larsson has been in Toronto for a couple of weeks and has had the opportunity to skate with his new teammates. The $3.5 million annual average value defenseman is excited for what's to come after winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in June.
"It's just fun to be here and skating with the guys. And you know a lot from playing against everybody," Ekman-Larsson said. "But just nice to see what they do on every single day, how hard they work. And yeah, I think we have an unbelievable group."
