HIGHLIGHTS
- Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games
- The veteran used an illegal drug while trying to recover from injuries
- Read below for the full story
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have lost a key piece of their blue line for the foreseeable future.
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games by the NHL without pay for violating the league’s Performance Enhancing Substance Program:
BREAKING: Aaron Ekblad has been suspended 20 games without pay for violating the NHL’s Performance Enhancing Substance Program pic.twitter.com/sle2Os4S0h
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 10, 2025
The Panthers, who sit first in the Atlantic Division, have 18 games left on the regular season schedule. They just got a whole lot better at the trade deadline, pulling off a blockbuster deal for Brad Marchand.
The loss of Ekblad is far from ideal, though. He’s played in 56 games in 2024-25, scoring three goals and supplying 30 assists. The 29-year-old averages 23:31 of ice time per game, which is the highest on the Florida roster behind the recently acquired Seth Jones.
Ekblad revealed in a statement to the NHLPA that he used a drug during injury rehab that he didn’t know was illegal. The former first-overall pick also apologized deeply for the mistake:
“As the NHL announced, I have been suspended for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. 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.
I have let my teammates down, the Panthers organization and our great fans down. For that, I am truly sorry. I have accepted responsibility for my mistake 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.”
Ebklad has spent his entire NHL career with the Panthers and will be an important player once again when the postseason begins. But for now, the Windsor, Ontario native simply needs to stay in shape and wait until he can return to the ice.
