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Ekman-Larsson will miss final three Coyotes games following death of mother

Philadelphia Flyers v Arizona Coyotes

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 15: Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Arizona Coyotes during the NHL game against Philadelphia Flyers at Gila River Arena on October 15, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Flyers 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Oliver Ekman-Larsson is traveling back to Sweden today following the death of his mother.

The 25-year-old defenseman has been granted a leave of absence from the Arizona Coyotes. He will not play their final three games.

His mother had been battling cancer.

“This has been a very difficult year for me personally,” Ekman-Larsson said in a statement. “I’d like to thank the Coyotes organization and all of my teammates for their incredible support all season long. I’m sorry that I’ll miss our last three games but family comes first.”