Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been given the honour to captain Team Sweden at the IIHF World Hockey Championships.
Lucas Raymond and Mattias Ekholm will serve as the team's alternate captains, Sweden announced.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson speaks on being captain of Team Sweden
“I feel honoured by the opportunity to be captain of Tre Kronor for the third time in my career. We have already now begun building a strong team spirit, and we will continue to build it every day during this championship.” Ekman-Larsson said, via Sweden’s national team’s Twitter account.
– Jag känner mig hedrad över möjligheten att få vara lagkapten för Tre Kronor för tredje gången i min karriär. Vi har redan nu börjat bygga en stark gruppkänsla och den ska vi fortsätta bygga varje dag under det här mästerskapet, säger Oliver Ekman-Larsson om kaptensutnämningen.
— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) May 14, 2026
Ekman-Larsson is coming off a strong season in Toronto, where he was consistently one of the team's best defenseman. The 34-year-old finished sixth in points this season, where he registered 39 points, including eight goals in 78 games. This was the Swedish defenseman's best campaign since 2018-19, when he was a member of the Arizona Coyotes. Ekman-Larsson played a critical role on the Maple Leafs blue line, playing long minutes in the top four as well as on the power play. Following the 2025-26 season, Ekman-Larsson was named the Maple Leafs nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy.
Experience representing Team Sweden at the international stage
Ekman-Larsson has a wealth of experience representing Team Sweden at the international stage. He has played on the Olympic stage twice in his career, in 2014 and 2026, and has appeared at the IIHF World Hockey Championships on seven occasions. He was also a member of the World Junior Championships in 2010. This decision made by Sweden was a no-brainer, as he has the most experience of any player on the roster and is one of the best defenders they have heading into the games.
Ekman-Larsson later spoke to the media on the opportunity of playing with potential number one overall pick Ivar Stenberg.
“He’s a fantastic player. He really showed that at the World Juniors, which I watched, but also here with the national team. He’s not here just to be here; he’s here because he belongs at this level and wants to contribute. I feel the same way about all the junior players here.” Ekman-Larsson said to Robin Olausson of Hockeysverige.
Leafs’ OEL praises Ivar Stenberg as Toronto holds decision with 1st overall:
— Hockey Patrol (@HockeyPatrol) May 9, 2026
“Yeah, I’m trying to recruit him a little bit,”
“He’s a fantastic player. He really showed that at the World Juniors, which I watched, but also here with the national team,” said Ekman-Larsson,
“He’s…
As the games have begun, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the rest of Team Sweden are hoping for a magical run as they look to obtain the gold medal.
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