Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad broke out in Florida State after Florida Panthers defensive player Aaron Ekblad was suspended for 20 games by the NHL for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancement Materials Program.
“Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the suspension is accompanied by a mandatory referral of the NHL/NHLPA program for abuse and behavioral health for assessment and possible treatment.”
The Panthers did get another defender before Seth Jones’ NHL trade deadline, and they are sure to get into the hole Ekblad left in the roster. It is unclear when the Panthers learned about Eck Brad’s fate, which he pointed out was that a substance he obtained earlier this season was to help him recover from a defeated injury as he missed eight games.
“End of the day, I made a mistake that could help me recover from my recent injury without checking out the proper medical and team staff first,” Ekblad said in an active test. “I let my teammates, the Panthers and our great fans down. I’m really sorry for that. I’m responsible for my mistakes and will be fully prepared to return to my team after the suspension. What I’ve learned is hard to learn and can’t wait to come back with my teammates.”
Ekblad was the first overall draft pick in 2014, playing all his career with the Panthers and helping the team win the Stanley Cup last season. In 732 professional regular seasons, he had 118 goals and 380 points.
He qualifies to return to Game 3 of the Panthers’ first round series.
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