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Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Kyle Chipchura Named Alternate Captains

By Catherine Silverman

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Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kyle Chipchura will don the ‘A’

Oliver Ekman-Larsson getting named alternate captain in the aftermath of a rather messy trade deadline isn’t much of a shock in Arizona.

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    • The 23-year-old blue liner — who was a newcomer to the United States when first drafted in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft — has come a long way in terms of both his play and his leadership abilities. He’s no longer the shy, unsure teenager struggling to get through an interview in English; he’s now as commanding off the ice as he is on it. Ekman-Larsson jokes with the media and fans alike, laughing off praise for his league-leading game winning goals (with five, he has more than any other defensemen in the NHL this season) and pointing out all the good things he sees in his teammates along the way.

    He’ll be taking over as the blue line alternate captain in the wake of Keith Yandle’s departure, though — on offense, the decision was a bit less expected.

    Normally, power center Martin Hanzal would wear the ‘A’ out on the ice; in his absence for season-ending back surgery, though, veteran Antoine Vermette has held the honors.

    Now, they’ve been passed on to yet another veteran — Kyle Chipchura, who stands in the faceoff circle for the team’s third line and second penalty kill unit.

    While OEL’s nomination was unanimously agreed upon by fans before the announcement was ever made, the decision to go with Chipchura over someone like Sam Gagner came as a bit of a surprise — although in retrospect, it really shouldn’t. The former first round pick has spent four seasons with Arizona, putting up the best numbers of his career and quietly leading the team through physical play and heavy hitting. He’s posted sixteen goals and forty-five assists in two hundred and thirty games in a Coyotes uniform, adding in two hundred and eight penalty minutes and quietly playing wherever he’s needed. He likely won’t keep the A after this season, but he’s a perfect replacement for now.

    As for Ekman-Larsson, though, the ‘A’ could easily carry over into next season; unless Zbynek Michalek returns via free agency, he’ll be the longest-tenured Coyote on the blue line. He’s been named to the NHL All Star game (appearing with the actual team this January) and scores so many game-winning overtime goals that he’s been nicknamed ‘OTL’ by his teammates — when it comes to a leader for the young defensive corps, it’s hard to think of someone better suited for the job. Little stock is put into who leads the team on paper, but there’s something to be said for who the team identifies as their captains — a good captain and strong locker room leadership are vastly underrated qualities in a developing young team.

    Next season, though, it will be interesting to see who the Coyotes choose as the alternate on offense — Hanzal could easily resume his position wearing the ‘A’ upon his return, but the team could also shift their focus in a more youth-oriented direction. Tobias Rieder has been a leader all season despite being a rookie on NHL ice, and Mikkel Boedker was on pace for a decent season before leaving for a splenectomy.

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