"I always came into the season wanting to play good for the Leafs and for my teammates here and give me a chance to be on that team," Ekman-Larsson said to reporters ahead of the morning skate on Tuesday. "So I'm lying if I'm saying I haven't really thought about it, to be honest with you. But very proud of myself of being named and getting a chance. With that being said, my teammates and the organization have been able to help me out."
While the NHL is concerned about the status of the ice hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games, sources told ESPN on Wednesday there are no indications the league would pull out of the event -- despite reports that the ice arena surface is about 3 feet too short. The NHL plans to send players to the 2026 Olympics in February for the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi.