Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad received a two-game suspension for elbowing Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the head during the fourth game of their first-round playoff series.
The NHL`s Department of Player Safety issued the ban after reviewing the incident and holding a phone hearing with Ekblad on Tuesday. The suspension means he will miss Game 5 and either Game 6 (if the series continues) or the opening game of the Panthers` next playoff round.
The hit occurred with under nine minutes remaining in the second period on Monday night, but no penalty was assessed on the play. Hagel departed the game immediately and did not return. Despite the incident, Ekblad later scored in the third period, contributing to the Lightning`s comeback win and 3-1 series lead.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper confirmed that Hagel will miss Game 5. Notably, Hagel himself had previously served a suspension for Game 3 due to a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2.
Ekblad had already missed the first two playoff games and the final 18 regular-season games due to a suspension for violating the league`s performance-enhancing drug policy. The Panthers roster has therefore had recent experience playing without him.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice commented on the situation, stating that while a first-time absence would raise many questions about lineup adjustments, the team is familiar with playing without Ekblad. “Because we`ve been through it so much when Aaron`s out, we know what the D-pairs are — let`s assume — if he`s out of the lineup,” Maurice said, implying a level of preparedness.
In related news, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola received a $5,000 fine for boarding Zemgus Girgensons of Tampa Bay. Mikkola received a five-minute major penalty and was ejected from Game 4 early in the third period for the infraction.
