Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

DALLAS – Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson suited up for 79 games.

He’s played the most minutes on the team and merited the toughest assignments, as he regularly shadowed the opposition’s best.

At the other end of the ice, his output helped him grow his career goal total so that he’s scored the third-most among defensemen in franchise history.

And Ekman-Larsson did all this while knowing his mother was battling cancer.

“He was playing with a heavy heart,” coach Dave Tippett said.

RELATED: Ekman-Larsson to miss final three games

Ekman-Larsson wasn't in the lineup Tuesday against the Stars, and he'll also miss Arizona's final two games as he was granted a leave of absence by the team to return to his native Sweden following the death of his mother, Annika.

The 25-year-old left Monday, with the funeral this week. His mom passed away a few weeks ago, Tippett said, but Ekman-Larsson wanted to remain with the team.

“He talked to his dad, and his dad wanted him to stay,” Tippett said. “And I think his mom, before she passed away, wanted him to stay.”

Tippett believes being around his teammates helped Ekman-Larsson cope with the loss of his mother, as hanging around the rink provided support and also a distraction.

“The team is an extension of their family, and they’re very loyal to both sides,” Tippett said. “So that’s the great thing about our game. People think that way.”

Ekman-Larsson didn’t broadcast the news of his mother’s illness to the room, goalie Mike Smith said, but a few players did talk to Ekman-Larsson about it.

“I couldn’t imagine, to deal with that and to still have to play and be a leader on this team and be one of our best players and carry that load,” Smith said. “It’s probably a little unfair because he’s probably not had the year that he’s wanted to, but I still think he’s been a really good player for us and he’s had that extra weight on his shoulders.

“Sometimes you’re quick to judge without knowing the whole situation.”

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This has been a down season for Ekman-Larsson on the ice, as he didn’t look like his usual poised self with turnovers an issue at times.

He finished with 12 goals after eclipsing 20 in each of the last two seasons, while his 39 points are his lowest since for a full-length season since he had 32 in 2011-12. And his minus-25 ranking was also worst on the team entering the final three games.

Ekman-Larsson did suffer a broken left thumb in November but kept playing and did not miss a game until leaving the team this week.

“Certainly that’s in the back of your mind,” Tippett said, referring to Ekman-Larsson's mother's illness. “Whether it affected his play or not, I’m not sure.”

What is clear, though, to the Coyotes is that Ekman-Larsson’s perseverance this entire season was admirable.

“He’s been stronger than pretty much anyone else I know could have been in the situation that he was in for a long time,” captain Shane Doan said. “His character, his strength, was pretty impressive, and, so yeah, it’s just a game. We play just a game. That’s all.”

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NHL skipping Olympics

The Coyotes’ former Olympians were disappointed to hear about the NHL’s intention to finalize next season’s schedule without a break to accommodate the 2018 Winter Olympics, a decision announced Monday after speculation about whether or not the league would participate had been building in recent months.

“Not good for hockey at all,” said defenseman Zbynek Michalek, who has twice represented the Czech Republic in the tournament. “I think it’s a step back.”

While “the overwhelming majority” of teams are opposed to disrupting the season, the NHL said in a statement, the league was open to listening to reasons why it should reconsider its stance but said “no meaningful dialogue has materialized.”

The NHL Players’ Association released its own statement Monday, calling the NHL’s decision “short-sighted,” as the players view their participation as a chance to grow the game – especially in Asia with the 2018 Games set for South Korea and 2022 in Beijing.

“We’re trying to build this game and bring more revenue to it,” Michalek said. “I think it’s a great way to do it. There’s no bigger stage than the Olympics.”

Smith represented Canada in 2014, winning gold as the team’s third goaltender, and the tournament is one of the highlights of his career.

“Just to be on the team and be around the best players for your country and to experience what it’s like to be at an Olympic Games in a different country was something that I’ll never forget,” Smith said. “It was a really unique experience. It’d be disappointing if players don’t get that opportunity to go experience that for sure.”

Tippett, who’s twice played in the Olympics for Canada, had mixed feeling about the news.

“You understand where the owners are, but the fact the Olympics – it’s a great platform for our game,” he said. “But there’s a lot of business involved in it. That’s just the way it goes. You deal with it.”

Injury update

Doan missed Tuesday’s game against the Stars with a lower-body injury.

The 40-year-old appeared in two games after returning last week from a sore groin, a setback that sidelined him for seven games. This latest issue is believed to be a different injury.

Winger Radim Vrbata also didn’t play, as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.