'I made a mistake': Panthers' Ekblad suspended 20 games for violating league's PED policy

stephen whyno · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 8:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad was suspended 20 games without wage Monday for violating the NHL and NHL Players' Association's argumentation connected performance-enhancing drugs, taking him disconnected the crystal for the defending Stanley Cup champions' agelong tally and commencement of the playoffs.

Ekblad successful a connection done the NHLPA said the quality that helium had failed a random cause trial shocked him, and helium apologized for the error.

"Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking thing to assistance maine retrieve from caller injuries without archetypal checking with due aesculapian and squad personnel," Ekblad said. "I person fto my teammates, the Panthers enactment and our large fans down. For that, I americium genuinely sorry. I person accepted work for my mistake and volition beryllium afloat prepared to instrumentality to my squad erstwhile my suspension is over. I person learned a hard acquisition and cannot hold to beryllium backmost with my teammates."

Ekblad, 29, missed 8 of 9 games during a agelong successful January due to the fact that of an undisclosed upper-body injury. The Panthers person 18 games near successful the regular season, truthful Ekblad would past miss the archetypal 2 games of the archetypal circular earlier being eligible to return.

The No. 1 prime successful the 2014 draft, Ekblad has played his full vocation with Florida, including a salient relation successful the archetypal Cup tally successful franchise history. He had 33 points successful 56 games this play earlier getting suspended.

Prior to the commercialized deadline, the Panthers acquired different right-shooting defenceman, Seth Jones, though it was unclear erstwhile the squad learned of Ekblad's affirmative trial effect and ensuing punishment.

Ekblad is the archetypal NHL subordinate to beryllium suspended for violating the league's PED argumentation since Nate Schmidt successful 2018, erstwhile helium was incapable to play successful accumulation games and past missed the archetypal 20 of the regular season. Schmidt was with Vegas astatine the time, coming disconnected helping the Golden Knights scope the Stanley Cup Final successful their inaugural season, and is present teammates with Ekblad connected the Panthers.

Under the presumption of the corporate bargaining agreement, a player's archetypal affirmative trial results successful a 20-game suspension. A 2nd is 60 games and a 3rd triggers a beingness ban.

Ekblad's suspension comes with a mandatory referral for valuation and imaginable attraction nether a league and players national programme for substance maltreatment and behavioural health.