Maple Leafs’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson named as Sweden’s captain for IIHF World Championship

Ekman-Larsson is coming off a season where he was the Maple Leafs’ best defenceman, recording eight goals and 39 points in 78 games. He was named to Sweden’s Olympic team, and was the Maple Leafs’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy. Ekman-Larsson will certainly be relied upon for his veteran leadership, along with his secondary offence and physicality.

Sweden is submitting a compelling roster, boasting several veterans, along with two draft-eligible players in Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Bjorck, both of whom are expected to be top-10 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. Stenberg has been touted as an outside candidate to go first overall, with Penn State forward Gavin McKenna as the consensus favourite.

Ekman-Larsson recently spoke about the opportunity to play with Stenberg.

“He’s a fantastic player. He really showed that at the World Juniors, which I watched, but also here with the national team,” Ekman-Larsson said to Robin Olausson of Hockeysverige. “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 sports a decorated international resume, with two gold medals at the Worlds in 2017 and 2018. He has been named to the tournament’s all-star team twice, and coming off a resurgent campaign with the Maple Leafs, Ekman-Larsson will be expected to play a prominent role for a Sweden team that will contend for gold once again.