Ekman-Larsson Selected to Represent Coyotes at 2018 NHL All-Star Game

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
GLENDALE, ARIZONA ---The National Hockey League announced today that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been selected to represent the Coyotes at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, which takes place at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida on Sunday, January 28.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Ekman-Larsson is tied for fourth on the Coyotes in scoring with 6-13-19 in 43 games. Ekman-Larsson has scored the third-most goals and has registered the seventh-most points by a defenseman in franchise history. He is tied for 20th on the franchise's all-time points list. Earlier this season, Ekman-Larsson also became the sixth defenseman in franchise history to play in 500 games with the club.

The 26-year-old defenseman is tied for the team lead with four power-play goals, which ties him for the second-most among all NHL defensemen. His 34 power-play goals since the start of the 2014 season lead League blueliners. Ekman-Larsson also leads all NHL defensemen with 17 game-winning goals since 2014. Ekman-Larsson's eight game-winning goals in 2015-16 set an NHL record for the most game-winning goals in a season by a defenseman.
The Karlskrona, Sweden native previously won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Championship in Cologne, Germany and Paris, France, collecting 2-3-5 in eight games. He also played in four games with Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto and recorded 2-10-12 in eight games with Sweden at the 2015 IIHF World Championship in Czech Republic. The Swedish defenseman also represented his country and won a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, dishing out three assists in six games.

This will be Ekman-Larsson's second career appearance at an NHL All-Star Game. He previously represented the Coyotes at the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio. Ekman-Larsson will be the 44th All-Star in franchise history and the 23rd All-Star in Coyotes history.
Coyotes All-Star Representatives
1997
Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky
Left Wing Keith Tkachuk
1998
Left Wing Keith Tkachuk
Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
1999
Center Jeremy Roenick
Left Wing Keith Tkachuk
Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
Defenseman Teppo Numminen
2000
Center Jeremy Roenick
Defenseman Teppo Numminen
2001
Goaltender Sean Burke
Defenseman Teppo Numminen
2002
Goaltender Sean Burke
2004
Right Wing Shane Doan
2007
Center Yanic Perreault
Defenseman Ed Jovanovski
2008
Defenseman Ed Jovanovski
2009
Right Wing Shane Doan
2011
Defenseman Keith Yandle
2012
Defenseman Keith Yandle
2015
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson
2017
Goalie Mike Smith
2018
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson