Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games for violating the NHL’s performance enhancing drugs policy, the league announced Monday.
In a statement released through the NHLPA, Ekblad said that it was “a shock” that he had failed what he said was a random drug test. Ekblad added that he had taken “something to help me recover from recent injuries” but had not checked with the team first.
“I have let my teammates, 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,” Ekblad said in the statement. “I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates.”
Neither Ekblad or the NHL clarified what the substance was.
Ekblad is the first NHL player to be suspended for performance enhancing drugs in nearly seven years. The last time was in 2018, when Ekblad’s current Panthers teammate Nate Schmidt was suspended 20 games for violating the policy.
Ekblad, a 29-year-old defenseman, has played for the Panthers since 2014, winning the 2024 Stanley Cup with the team. He has been a key part of the Panthers this year, earning the fourth-most assists (30) on the team.
Ekblad missed seven games in January with an upper-body injury that was originally not disclosed by the team. He returned to the lineup on Jan. 25.
Given that there are 18 games remaining in the regular season, Ekblad’s suspension will likely continue into the postseason.
Although the rest of the season may be trickier without Ekblad, and without the injured Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers are in a very good spot for the playoffs already. Florida sits at the top of the Atlantic Division with one of the best records in the league, and is set to make a defending run at the Stanley Cup.
