Oliver Ekman-Larsson has earned his fair share of recognition during his career with the Arizona Coyotes, and on Monday he earned more prestigious praise, as he was chosen as the Coyotes’ nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the NHL.

The award is given to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and has made a humanitarian contribution to his surrounding community, similar to the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award and MLB’s Roberto Clemente award.

Over the past couple of years, Ekman-Larsson has been involved with the surrounding Boys & Girls Clubs. In January, the 26-year-old from Sweden partnered with the Arizona Coyotes Foundation to donate $125,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

On the ice, Ekman-Larsson played in 81 games for the Coyotes this season, totaling 14 goals and 30 assists.

This season was Ekman-Larsson’s first as captain of the team, and under his leadership the Coyotes nearly made their first playoff appearance since 2012.

In his nine seasons with the Coyotes, Ekman-Larsson has been selected to two NHL All-Star games and has finished in the top 10 voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy (top defenseman) twice.

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