The Florida Panthers were hit with some big news early on Monday evening. News broke that Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games. The punishment comes from violation of the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance enhancing substances program, the league announced Monday.
Panthers Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games on Monday without pay for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance enhancing substances program.
Aaron Ekblad Suspended 20 Games by NHL
Ekblad has only played for the Panthers across his 11-year NHL career. The 2014-15 Calder Trophy winner has three goals and 30 assists for 33 points in 56 games this season. He has a Corsi for of 55.9 and a relative Corsi of 1.0.
The Windsor, Ontario native has 118 goals and 262 assists for 380 points in 732 career games. Florida originally drafted Ekblad first overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He was a standout player in the major junior ranks with the Barrie Colts of the OHL.
“As the NHL announced, I have been suspended for violating the NHL/NHLPA performance enhancing substances program,” Ekblad said in a statement. “The news that I had failed a random drug test was a shock. Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel.
The 29-year-old has represented his native Canada at the junior and senior levels. He was also part of Team North America during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
What It Means
Florida loses a big part of its blueline group for the stretch drive. The Panthers are in a three-way battle with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division. General manager Bill Zito did get Seth Jones at the trade deadline, but losing Ekblad will leave a massive hole in the lineup.
The Panthers have 18 games left in the regular season. This means that he will be out for the Panthers’ first two Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Ekblad is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. There has been some uncertainty on if he’ll be back in South Florida in 2025-26 and beyond. He’s been a big part of the franchise, but the money may not be there to keep him.
Main photo by: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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