Team Sweden and Team Canada went head-to-head in the gold medal game at the 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship, where the Swedish team came out on top after an exhilarating 2-1 shootout victory.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a big part of Team Sweden's win, scoring one of the two Team Sweden shootout goals.
While we celebrate Mother's Day in Canada on May 14th, they have the holiday this Sunday in Sweden.
Ekman-Larsson will have a tough Mother's Day this year, after his mother, Annika, passed away in March after a long battle with cancer.
The defenseman chatted with the Senior Director of News Content for the Arizona Coyotes Dave Vest recently, and told him he played for his mom.
The excerpt below is from NHL.com:
To read more of the interview, check out Dave Vest's article HERE.
As mentioned in the article, Ekman-Larsson will look to bring his gold medal to his mother's gravesite. Who knows, he might even have the opportunity to bring the trophy, as seen in his hands at the celebration below.
(H/T r/hockey)
