Adam Larsson Fast Facts
Number: 6 Position: Defense
DOB: 11/12/92 Hometown: Skellefteå, Sweden Height: 6-3 Weight: 207
How Acquired By Kraken: 2021 Free Agent
NHL Seasons as of 2025: 14
Previous NHL Teams: New Jersey, 2011-2016; Edmonton, 2016-21
Career Bests: Goals-8 (’21-’22 & ’22-’23), Points-28 (2024-25), +/- +27 (2022-23)
Notable: The defenseman’s full name is Nils Erik Adam Larsson.
If Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson completes all of his four-year, $21 million contract extension, he’ll have played NHL hockey for fully half his life. Larsson broke in at age 18 with the New Jersey Devils in 2011.
Larsson is locked up through the 2028-29 campaign. The 32-year old Swedish blueliner known as “Big Cat” is an original Kraken, signed as a free agent from the Edmonton Oilers in July, 2021. Remarkably, Larsson has suited up for 327 of the 328 regular season games in Kraken history. And the one he missed was for the birth of his daughter.
“Established himself as one of the solid two-way players in our game at that position,” said analyst Stu Grimson on NHL Network. “You’re so comfortable playing him in each and every situation.” Larsson has averaged a robust 22.5 minutes per game in four Kraken seasons. “He turns his ice time into meaningful, impactful minutes,” said Grimson, who also pointed out, “He’s a leader in this young organization.”
Another value Larsson brings is a stay-at-home defensive presence, allowing offensive-minded d-partner Vince Dunn latitude to join the rush. Grimson says, “Larsson has been a really solid compatible partner. That’s not always the stuff that jumps off the page at you, but that’s an important part of why that tandem has performed so successfully.”
“He really needs to trust you as a person to show his personality,” Vince Dunn said. “But to know him – he’s very, very humble. He’s very respectful and treats everyone the same regardless of who they are. I think that’s really good for the new guys that come in and they are able to listen to him, talk to him…whatever they need. He’s very open to everyone and a lot of the guys see how seriously he takes the game.
“When it’s game time, it’s game time. Everywhere else he’s the guy to kind of goof around with and who is bringing energy. And once you get to know him you learn he’s really funny.”
Which brings us to the Adam Larsson bowl haircut T-shirts. That’s fellow Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak rocking the Larsson visage at left, in a screengrab from Kraken social media.
Tom Gulitti of NHL.com told the story just prior to the Kraken playing in the 2024 Winter Classic.
“Kraken players have been proudly wearing black T-shirts featuring a photo of Larsson with a bowl haircut before and after games throughout their team-record tying eight-game point streak (6-0-2).
“Larsson said they were revenge for a prank he played on Seattle forward Matty Beniers. ‘I pranked Matty in the morning,’ Larsson said. ‘And, at night he got me back.’ When the players arrived for the game that night, the T-shirts were waiting for them in their locker stalls. ‘I think it was awesome,’ Larsson said.”