It’s in his genes.
That’s how Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson describes the bite in his game that has been evident in his initial games with the club.
His dad, Patrik, played hockey in Sweden’s lower divisions and had some snarl.
“I probably got it from my from my dad — he was spending a lot of time in the penalty box,” Ekman-Larsson said. “Not a lot of people know that.
“Hockey was a little bit different then. You got away with more. I wouldn’t say he was mean, but he was playing on the edge.”
That part of Ekman-Larsson’s game has been a revelation. It was not necessarily the first thing about him that came to mind when the Leafs signed him to a four-year contract on July 1, but it nicely suits the approach that coach Craig Berube wants.
“I’ve always thought he has played hard and playing him a lot last year when he was in Florida, that part of his game was really impressive,” Leafs centre John Tavares said. “He has stepped up in a big way for us here early on, which has been great to see, especially as a new guy coming in for us.”
On the whole, the 33-year-old Ekman-Larsson has been a solid addition to the Toronto blue line. Through seven games, he led the team in ice time with an average of 21 minutes 55 seconds. And he was tied with Ryan Reaves for third among Leafs with 14 hits.
Ekman-Larsson got into some trouble this week with the National Hockey League, which fined him $5,000 US for his reverse hit on Jake Guentzel of the Tampa Bay Lightning. An interference minor was assessed to Ekman-Larsson on the play.
“It’s not me making those decisions, you just eat it and move on,” Ekman-Larsson said of the NHL’s punishment. “It happens so quick out there. I felt like the puck was there, and I was trying to just find an extra second.”
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