Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is reportedly joining Team Sweden at the IIHF World Hockey Championships, according to The Leafs Nation's Nick Alberga.
More Leafs content for the upcoming Men's World Championship in Switzerland: I'm told Oliver Ekman-Larsson will play for Sweden. 🇸🇪 @TLNdc
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) April 30, 2026
Oliver Ekman-Larsson's strong season in Toronto earned him his spot
This will mark the second time this season that we will see Ekman-Larsson representing Team Sweden, as he played in the 2026 Olympics in Italy this past February. OEL played in all five matches for Sweden, averaging 10:27 time on ice, as Sweden was later eliminated in the quarterfinals by the United States, which went on to win the gold medal.
The Swedish defenceman is coming off one of his most productive seasons offensively at the age of 34. Ekman-Larsson registered eight goals and 39 points, which is the most he has produced since the 2018-19 season with the Arizona Coyotes, where he tallied 44 points that campaign. Despite the Maple Leafs struggles this season, Ekman-Larsson was their most consistent blueliner, playing crucial minutes night in and night out, when the Leafs were dealing with injury troubles and inconsistent play from their top players.
Ekman-Larsson was also the Maple Leafs' Bill Masterton Trophy nominee, voted on by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). Ekman-Larsson has extensive experience representing Team Sweden, having played in six IIHF World Championships, two Olympic Games, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, as well as the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship. Over this stretch, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has two gold medals, both at the World Hockey Championship in 2017 and 2018.
OEL is set to join John Tavares and Morgan Rielly at the World Hockey Championships, as they were announced to Team Canada over the past few weeks. William Nylander has not been named to Sweden as of yet, and many have been speculating whether he is willing to join the team, as the championship begins on May 15th. Sweden is set to face Canada, Denmark, Czechia, Slovenia, Italy, Norway, and Slovakia in the preliminary round of the tournament.
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