Ex-Vancouver Canucks Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson Celebrates Major Milestone with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Former fan favorite Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson celebrates major milestone as he skates in his 1,000 Career NHL game as apart of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was a special night when Ekman-Larsson, also known as OEL stepped on the ice against the Washington Capitals this evening (Nov 13th) as he joins a pool of only 400 NHLers to earn the esteemed silver stick for 1,000 games played.
Nicknamed OEL, he is the third player with ties to the Canucks organization who has hit the 1,000-game mark this season, joining Luke Schenn and Tyler Myers. On top of it, he becomes only the 3rd active Swedish hockey player to surpass this milestone.
The team commemorated him by changing their profile photos on their social media counts, which displayed his initials "OEL" with a 1k immersed in the image.
Teammate Chris Tanev had some special words for Ekman-Larsson and his accomplishment.
«Amazing accomplishment,» Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev said following Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators. «He's a great guy. Very humble, very soft-spoken. Likes to have fun. On the ice, he plays really hard, has a great stick, makes a ton of plays and he plays with a little edge that we need for sure. It's a huge accomplishment, and we're all excited for him.»
When OEL sat down with NHL.com to talk about his career and what the game of hockey means to him. He told Dan McCarthy that it starts off as a dream just to make it to the NHL, and he can't believe he has been able to carve out an amazing 15 year NHL career.
«It doesn't feel like I've been around for that long, you dream about playing one game in this league, and here I am 15 years later. You feel very fortunate that you've got a chance to play for a long time. It's not easy to stick in this league, so it's a lot of work that goes into it. You have to approach it like finding a way to get better each day, work on your game every single day and have that drive where you want to get better, because that's how you have a long career.»
Everyone here at Canucks Daily wants to congratulate OEL on 1,000 NHL games played!
| POLL |
Do you miss having Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the Vancouver Canucks? |
| Yes | 30 | 17.2 % |
| No | 144 | 82.8 % |
| List of polls |
|
4 hours ago | By Maverick Mitchell Vancouver Canucks Goalie Prospect Ty Young has Unforgettable AHL start with the Abbotsford Canucks |
|
5 hours ago | By Maverick Mitchell NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Denies the Vancouver Canucks of Major Salary Cap Opportunity |
|
6 hours ago | By Maverick Mitchell J.T. Miller's Personal Leave of Absence Sparks Wild Rumors Involving Wife Natalie Craig |
|
8 hours ago | By Maverick Mitchell Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland Names Newborn Baby After His Captain - Or Did He? |
|
9 hours ago | By Maverick Mitchell Vancouver Canucks Goalie Thatcher Demko Opens Up to the Media for the First Time in Months with Huge Update |
|
11 hours ago | By Cooper Godin Montreal Canadiens Star Defenseman at Center of Trade Talks with Vancouver Canucks |
|
12 hours ago | By Cooper Godin Vancouver Canucks Duo Make Bold Choice with Rare NHL Equipment, Others to Follow Suit? |
|
13 hours ago | By Cooper Godin Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson Making Major Statement To All Who Doubted Him |
Previously on CanucksDaily
