Ekman-Larsson takes leave of absence from Coyotes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has taken a leave of absence from the Arizona Coyotes following the death of his mother, the team announced Monday.

Ekman-Larsson will return home to Sweden and will miss the remainder of the regular season. Arizona has three games left to play this year.

"Oliver has done a remarkable job dealing with this issue all season long and we commend him for the professionalism that he's demonstrated," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said in a statement.

Ekman-Larsson, 25, has appeared in all 79 games with Arizona this season, registering 12 goals and 27 assists.