Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson speaks to the media ahead of Florida's game at Mullet Arena in Tempe, Arizona on Jan. 2 By all accounts, Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s first season with the Florida Panthers has been going quite swimmingly. The 32-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Panthers over the summer after a couple rough seasons in Vancouver ended with his contract being bought out by the Canucks. He arrived in South Florida completely healthy, and with a full offseason of training under his belt, Ekman-Larsson was ready for a fresh start on the opposite side of North America. Since putting on a Panthers sweater, Ekman-Larsson has been asked to fill a few different roles and has seen his ice time fluctuate, but the results have remained the same. Through his first 36 games with Florida, Ekman-Larsson has amassed 7 goals and 18 points while boasting some of the best advanced metrics of his 14-year career. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Speaking of Ekman-Larsson’s extensive career, he spent his first 11 seasons in the NHL playing for the franchise Florida will face off against on Tuesday night, the Arizona Coyotes. From 2010 to 2021, Ekman-Larsson skated in 769 games with the Yotes, racking up 128 goals – which remains a franchise record for defensemen – and 388 points. His 55 power play goals are also most by any Coyotes defenseman. It won’t be the first time Ekman-Larsson has faced his former club, but it will be his first visit to their new home in Tempe, Mullett Arena. Prior to the start of last season, the Coyotes moved to the smaller barn (NHL capacity is 4,600) on Arizona State University’s campus as a temporary fix until they can find a new permanent home. Following the Panthers’ morning skate at Mullett Arena on Tuesday, Ekman-Larsson spoke about returning to Arizona, which he calls his second home, skating in Tempe for the first time, and more. Video of Ekman-Larsson’s media availability can be seen at the top of this page, and a transcript of what he said can be read below. On visiting Mullett Arena for the first time: “It's different, but I think it's a little bit easier for me personally to come back the second time. The first time it was kind of built up, I spent a lot of years here. It feels good to be back and it's fun to see some of the guys that I've played with over the years and just talk to them a little bit.” On keeping Florida’s recent success rolling: “I think we've been playing some good hockey lately. We were not happy with the road trip that we went on and felt that we can play better and play a little bit smarter, and I think we cleaned that up when we came home. I feel comfortable, we’ve been defending good and (Sergei Bobrovsky) and (Anthony Stolarz) have been good back there. I feel like everybody's chipping in and playing good hockey, so when we do that, we're a good hockey team and a tough team to beat.” On starting the long road trip well: “I think the first one is always important to get off to a good start, so we've got to make sure we’re ready when we show up here tonight. We’re playing against a talented team that has been playing good this year, and it's my understanding is that is a hard building to come into and play, so we’ve got to make sure we're ready and go about our business.” On what he’s proud of from his time with the Coyotes: “I think just being able to spend 11 years in the same organization. It was some tough years and it was some good years, but overall I think the friendships that I made, and not just hockey people, I think outside of hockey too, I think that's what I'm proud of. I still have those people in my life and so it's good to come back and see those guys. I tried to be a role model in the community and at the rink, so that's just something that I'm really proud of. I played with a lot of good players over the years here, too. It's been my second home for a long time and it's nice to come back.” LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Challenging road trip beings with Panthers in Arizona to face surprising Coyotes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/challenging-road-trip-beings-with-panthers-in-arizona-to-face-surprising-coyotes] Panthers embark on extended road trip, embrace facing playoff-caliber opponents [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-embark-on-extended-road-trip-embrace-facing-playoff-caliber-opponents] Happy New Year from THN Florida! 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