GLENDALE -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the new captain of the Coyotes.
The 27-year-old defenseman, who has played his entire, 576-game NHL career for the Arizona/Phoenix franchise, officially accepted the job on Thursday, a day before the Coyotes are slated to begin training camp practices for the 2018-19 season.
"It's going to be very hard to be the next captain after Shane Doan, but at the same time I think I learned a lot from him and how he treats everybody around him with respect," Ekman-Larsson said. "I'm super excited and proud. I'm very proud and I know my family is very proud of me to sit here today and be a captain of the Arizona Coyotes. I never dreamed about that growing up so it feels weird, I'm not going to lie ... My feelings are all over the map right now. It's a big honor for me to be the captain of the Arizona Coyotes and I'm really thankful for the opportunity. I think it's going to be great."
Ekman-Larsson Thankful, Proud to be Named Team Captain
© Photo by Norm Hall.
© Photo by Norm Hall.
© Photo by Getty Images.