Before the 2012/13 season, Mattias Ekholm left Sweden for a serious run at the NHL with the Nashville Predators. Until the middle of the 2022/23 season, he was one of the club’s most important players and a leader with an “A” on his chest. In February 2023, he received the news that his time in Nashville was over, and a move to Canada and Edmonton was coming after a trade deadline deal with the Oilers.

“It was tough at first, the first few hours after I got the news. It was also emotional after having lived in the same place for so long,” says Mattias Ekholm in an interview with hockeysverige.se at Borlänge Ice Hall, where two of his three children are skating.

“Once I got over the initial shock and realized where I was going, I became super excited and understood that I was coming to a team with all the potential to win. Winning is what I play for.

“Very mixed emotions. Highs and lows, and I guess that’s how it should be.”

It is not always easy to leave a team in the middle of a season, change countries from the USA to Canada, and move a home 30 hours north by car.

“We were lucky. My in-laws were in Nashville at the time, and they stayed behind to clear out and clean the house.

“Everything happens so quickly in situations like this. You get the call, and two weeks later, we essentially had the entire house on a truck heading to Canada. We got a lot of help, but quite a bit fell on Ida (Björnstad, his wife), which isn’t always fair.

“This is the world we live in, which we knew beforehand. When you’re in a trade and experience it for the first time, it’s definitely something new and something you might not be able to prepare for before it happens.

“Everything has gone well, and we’re super happy with the move so far, so we have nothing to complain about.”

What does the city of Nashville mean to you today?

“Nashville is somewhere I will return to in the future as well. Two of our children were born there. I’m 34 years old and have lived there for twelve years. That’s quite a significant part of my life, so Nashville will always mean a lot to me and my family. I only have positive memories from living there.”

Returning to Nashville and facing his old team with Edmonton was, of course, special for Mattias Ekholm.

“It was obviously very strange and special. That game was filled with a lot of emotions, but it was also nice to get it behind me.

“It was great to come back and see everyone I played with, lived with, and fought alongside all these years. Everyone from teammates to people in the organization to neighbours… I had built a network in Nashville, so it was special to come back and play that game. I felt the same way this season that it was special to go there for those games.”

Ekholm had a significant role in Nashville but received even more trust once he came to Edmonton.

“I would say I got a bigger role in Edmonton. At least a different role. Much more offensive. I played with a guy who is much more offensive in (Evan) Bouchard. We are often on the ice at the same time as (Connor) McDavid’s line. That usually means we play in the offensive zone. It’s been really fun.

“When I played in Nashville over the years, I had many skilled offensive defensemen ahead of me. That’s why I had much less of that type of role. Even though I played a lot in Nashville, it was more defensively oriented and focused on protecting leads.

“In Edmonton, it feels like it doesn’t matter what the score is. I’ll still get to play all the way through, especially in the offensive part.

“It’s been super fun and gratifying that it’s reflected in having my best season in terms of goals, points, and plus/minus stats so far. In many of those categories, I set personal bests.”

Mattias Ekholm scored eleven goals and totalled 45 points in 79 games last season. Additionally, he had a plus/minus rating of 44.

“The season was very eventful and super positive for my personal play and our team. We were in a bit of a crisis after ten, twelve games and fired the coach (Jay Woodcroft).

“To then turn that around and be the hottest team in the NHL from December… Moreover, going all the way to the finals and being one goal away from an overtime game in game seven.

“It’s hard to be dissatisfied with so much positive happening, but I’m still sitting here and haven’t won. Somewhere inside, it burns and gnaws at me.”

The Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers was different. Edmonton lost the first three games but then came back to tie it at 3-3.

“Florida had a very good goaltender (Sergei Bobrovsky) during those three games. I’m not saying it was just that, but especially in Game 1 and a bit in Game 3, he won the games for Florida. The way we played in Game 1, we would win nine times out of ten, but their goaltender stood on his head.”

“It’s incredibly difficult to come back from such a deficit, but we also have to realize that we can’t allow a team to come up like that. Even if we came back to 3-3, it’s like a ‘reset’ after winning, and it’s a new game to win again. Everything resets, and it’s still very difficult, but at the same time, it was quite a journey.”

In the media, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl received some criticism for not producing as expected in the last few games of the finals. This is something Mattias Ekholm reacts strongly to.

“It was quite ironic because we had a guy who broke one of Wayne Gretzky’s records in the playoffs. For him to then be criticized for not delivering… Sure, I understand that he didn’t score in the last two games or whatever it was, but we would never have been in the Stanley Cup final without those two.

“To criticize when we were one goal away from overtime in Game 7, you have to realize that we faced a good team that was simply a bit better when it mattered.

“I don’t think there should be any criticism of anyone in our team or in Florida. Now Florida won, so there wasn’t any criticism there either.

“This was not something we talked about. At the same time, I find it incredible that you can criticize someone who breaks Gretzky’s record. No one has scored more assists in the playoffs than McDavid.”

Losing by such a narrow margin, how did it feel when the final buzzer sounded?

“Disheartening. At the same time, I’m glad to have been part of that journey. We showed that we were really close and have a team that can truly compete. But after the final whistle, there was just emptiness and a lot of emotions.”

Is there a hunger for revenge in the coming season?

“Yes, I think we have a good team this season. Maybe even better than last season. But then we have to execute. I think we played 106 games this season, and it’s not easy to find your way back to a new final. It’s hard work again next season that will lay the foundation for everything.”

“Maybe I’ve become a bit jaded from playing in the NHL for so long because I keep thinking ‘next year, next year…’ You can be disappointed for a few days, but I’m super excited, and the drive to win is still there because I’ve been so close. We hope to do it again.”

How is your body feeling after 106 tough games?

“Tired, of course, and a bit worn out. I have some minor injuries. That’s what happens when you play playoff hockey. Still, I think my body feels relatively good for my age (34 years).

“I think I take good care of my body. Right after it ended, I took three weeks off. When you’re in it, you don’t feel certain aches, but when you finally relax and a week or two passes, you realize ‘Oh, my body can actually feel like this too.’

“There has been a lot of hockey, but fun games, what I want to do, and where I want to be. It’s nice to have rested a bit, but now I feel ready again,” Mattias Ekholm concludes with a smile as the kids in the rink now realize that one of Sweden’s most experienced NHL players is sitting on the bench.