FEATURE: Ekholm hoping to finish career in Oil Country with a Stanley Cup

EDMONTON, AB – Oil Country is where the ‘Ek-home’ has been built.

And there’s no place else that defenceman Mattias Ekholm and his family wanted to be than here, after ‘the Viking’ signed a new three-year contract extension on Wednesday to keep them all in Edmonton while hoping to see out his professional career in the best way possible:

Bringing the Stanley Cup back to a city that’s become everything they’ve wanted in a home.

“For me, it's been the full package when it comes to our family,” Ekholm said to the media at Rogers Place ahead of Wednesday’s Home Opener against the Calgary Flames. “My wife loves it here, our kids love it here. They have friends. We have a really big network outside of hockey.

“On the ice, it speaks for itself with the team that we have. The organization itself is first-class and takes care of us every day. There weren't any question marks, to be honest with you. We just wanted to find a fair number, and we definitely wanted to stay.”

At 35 years old, the Swedish defenceman is at the point in his long NHL career where it's about finding continuity and comfort for his family, while still having the opportunity to continue competing for a Stanley Cup – things that have been easy to come by in Edmonton.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday morning after signing his extension with the Oilers, Ekholm said he's relieved to have it done before the puck drops so that it won't be a distraction for either himself, his teammates or his family, knowing he'll be spending the last seasons of his career in an Oilers uniform.

“I just wanted to retire in Edmonton. That's been the goal,” Ekholm said. “That's the purpose of this deal, and we'll see at 39 if I have another year in me, but let's start with this and see where it goes.”

There's always emphasis on the 'we' for Ekholm, who always puts his family first when considering every decision he makes, and having that sense of security in the form of a three-year extension takes a huge burden off everyone's shoulders, knowing that Edmonton is where they're going to be staying.

"I wanted to have it done for myself and for my family so we can plan our future and whatnot," he said. "But at the end of the day, I've been in this league now long enough. I know when you're coming into the league, you want to have that thing over with as soon as possible.

"I will say that this process was very short. I think it started even yesterday, to be honest. It's not like I've been thinking about it too much or whatnot. I knew at some point it was going to happen, or if it wasn't, I'm confident in what I can bring to a hockey club. Standing here today, I'm very happy that it happened and I can just put it behind me and focus on the season."

Considered one of the most significant trade acquisitions ever made by the Oilers in their franchise’s history, Ekholm has provided everything you could’ve hoped for and more since he arrived from the Nashville Predators on Feb. 28, 2023 with a sixth-round pick for defenceman Tyson Barrie, 2022 first-rounder Reid Schaefer and a 2023 first-round pick.

Across parts of three seasons in an Oilers uniform, Ekholm has produced 24 goals and 68 assists in 165 regular-season contests and a further seven goals and 16 assists in 44 playoff games, playing primarily alongside Evan Bouchard on the top defensive pairing.

He’s one of the veteran leaders in the Oilers’ locker room, and locking down the Swedish defenceman for three more seasons keeps one of the most well-respected and impactful contributors in Edmonton to continue being a key part of the team’s Stanley Cup aspirations from their blueline.

“Guys have so much respect for him,” Knoblauch said. “I didn't know him very well. Obviously, I’d seen him play for Nashville for many years, and then coming to Edmonton, you just see the presence that he has on the ice. He plays against other teams’ top lines. He's part of some power play, outstanding on the penalty kill, and plays on a top pair. So for that side of it, a lot of respect.

“But here's also in the dressing room. Guys have so much respect for him because he's a pretty honest player. He'll call out guys when they're not playing at their best, and he's a pretty good leader. So I think we have a lot of those guys, but Ekky's one of the best.”

It's all about winning for Ekholm at this stage of his career, and knowing that his mindset is being shared by some of the best players in hockey who play for the same organization reinforces his belief that Edmonton is the place he was meant to be.

The Oilers have been close to lifting the Cup in back-to-back seasons, with Ekholm having lost out in three Stanley Cup Finals over his career (once with the Predators during the 2016-17 season) and he's all in with this group in Edmonton to get the job done – even if it takes him the rest of his career.

“I was saying to somebody the other day that it'd be hard to go to a place where you're not there to win, so to speak," he said. "I know that everybody tries to win, but at the end of the day, there might be a handful of teams that actually have a legit chance of winning. Knowing that Connor will be here and what he did with his contract, knowing that we can build around that as well, is very exciting to me.

"This team has gotten close, so that was a big part of staying and knowing that I still have a chance to win.

"I have a few more years here and that's all I'm looking to do.”