Swedish blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson wore this beautiful red sweater in 2014-2015 en route to his very first NHL All-Star game appearance and 20+ goal season.
The former 6th overall pick broke out as a goal-scorer in his 5th NHL season, scoring a career high 23 goals while playing in all 82 games. He also finished 9th in the Norris Trophy voting.
Over the course of two seasons (2014-2015 and 2015-2016), OEL emerged as a vital cog in both ends for Dave Tippett and the Coyotes as they struggled to rebuild. Beyond the brief emergence of Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, he was the lone bright spot on those two rosters.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson shown here in a game from December 16th, 2014. Ekman-Larsson scored the game-winning goal in the Coyotes 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The jersey is photomatched to the black mark next the #3 on the right sleeve.
OEL’s 2014-2015 Red Set 1 game worn jersey doesn’t have a ton of wear to discuss which is fairly consistent with his gamers over the years. There are exceptions to the rule, but in general they tend to have light signs of usage.
Both sleeves have very light wear and no repairs. There are a few marks, but the right sleeve does have two unrepaired holes. One hole in the middle white stripe on the elbow, and another in the bottom white stripe. The right sleeve has a few burns and marks, as well as an unrepaired hole in the sleeve below the white stripes.
The most easily identifiable bit of wear is next to the right sleeve #23, where a solid black mark can be found next to that #3. It has been matched to several games along with the holes in the right sleeve.
The Swede has continued to be an important piece of the Coyotes organization in the years since.
In 2018-2019, he assumed the captaincy following the retirement of Shane Doan in 2016-2017.
While he hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty expectations set for him following his breakout season, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been close to the heart of the Coyotes organization and it’s fan base throughout his career.