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Belle River native Aaron Ekblad has been handed a 20-game suspension.
Belle River native Aaron Ekblad has been handed a 20-game suspension.
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The 29-year-old defenceman for the Floridan Panthers was given the suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
“As the NHL announced, I have been suspended for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program,” Ekblad, who is in his 10th NHL season, said in a statement released by the NHLPA. “The news that I had failed a random drug test was a shock.
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“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 six-foot-four, 220-pound Ekblad missed eight games during a stretch of nine games for the Panthers in January due to an undisclosed upper-body injury.
Ekblad had off-season shoulder surgery in the summer of 2023 that forced him to missed the first 16 games of the 2023-24 NHL season.
He missed Florida’s final 21 games in 2021-22 season with a knee injury and 21 games in the COVID-19 pandemic season in 2020-21 with a lower-leg fracture.
He suffered a broken foot and dislocated shoulder en route to helping the Panthers reach the Stanley Cup final in 2023 before helping Florida capture the Cup in 2024.
The suspension will also be costly for Ekblad, who is in the final season of an eight-year deal for $7.5 million. Under the collective bargaining agreement, a player that tests positive loses his salary and bonuses, but not performance bonuses, effective from the date of the suspension until 10 days prior to the conclusion of the suspension. He is also prohibited from participating in all of the club’s activities.
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Ekblad will miss the final 18 games of the regular season for the Panthers, who lead the Atlantic Division and wrap up regular-season play on April 15, along with the team’s first two playoff games.
“I have let my teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans down,” Ekblad said. “For that, I am truly sorry. I have accepted responsibility for my mistakes and will be fully prepared to return to my team when my suspension is over. I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates.
A Sun County Panthers minor hockey product, Florida made Ekblad the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft after he played three seasons with the Barrie Colts, who made him the first overall pick in the 2011 OHL Draft after he was granted exceptional status to play in the league a year early.
This season, Ekblad had three goals and 33 points in 56 games and is a plus 11. He has 118 goals and 380 points in 732 career games along with four goals and 20 points in 64 career playoff games.
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