Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has received a two-game suspension from the NHL for elbowing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in the head during Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
The NHL`s Department of Player Safety announced the ruling following a phone hearing with Ekblad earlier on Tuesday. He will miss Game 5 and either Game 6 of this series or the Panthers` first game in the next round if they advance.
The incident happened in the second period on Monday night with less than nine minutes left, and no penalty was assessed on the ice. Hagel exited the game after the hit and did not return. Later, Ekblad scored the first of two goals within 11 seconds late in the third, contributing to the defending Stanley Cup champions` comeback victory and a 3-1 series lead.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper stated that Hagel would be unavailable for Game 5. This comes after Hagel himself served a suspension for Game 3 for a late hit that knocked Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov out of Game 2.
Ekblad had already missed the first two games and the final 18 of the regular season due to a suspension for violating the league and NHLPA`s performance-enhancing drug policy. As a result, Florida is already accustomed to playing without Ekblad.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice commented on the situation, stating that the team is used to playing without Ekblad due to his previous absences. He mentioned that there`s less uncertainty regarding lineup adjustments compared to the first time Ekblad was out, as they now have experience handling it.
In related news from the same game, fellow Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was fined $5,000 for a boarding penalty against Tampa Bay`s Zemgus Girgensons. Mikkola received a five-minute major penalty and was ejected early in the third period for the hit.
Tristan Blackwood