Panthers D Ekblad suspended 20 games for violating NHL's performance-enhancing drug policy

 

Aaron Ekblad, a defenseman with the Florida Panthers, has been suspended for 20 games without pay for breaking the NHL/NHLPA's performance-enhancing substance policy.

The suspension comes with an obligatory referral to the NHL/NHLPA program for substance abuse and behavioral health for assessment and potential treatment, as stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement.

Ekblad will miss the rest of the regular season because he is an unrestricted free agent.

Due to an unknown upper-body ailment, Ekblad, 29, missed eight of nine games over a span in January. Ekblad would therefore miss the first two playoff games before he could make a comeback, as the Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, have 18 games left in the regular season.
Ekblad, who was selected first overall in the 2014 draft, has spent his whole playing career with Florida. It was unclear when the Panthers found out about Ekblad's positive test result and subsequent punishment, but they did acquire another right-shooting defenseman, Seth Jones, prior to the trade deadline.

The collective labor agreement stipulates that a player will be suspended for 20 games after their first positive test. A third results in a lifetime ban, and a second is sixty.

Ekblad is the first NHL player to be suspended for violating the league's PED policy since Nate Schmidt in 2018. Schmidt was with Vegas at the time and is now teammates with Ekblad on the Panthers.

Ekblad’s suspension comes with a mandatory referral for evaluation and possible treatment under a league and players union program for substance abuse and behavioural health.

Ekblad has three goals and 30 assists in 56 games this season. The two-time All-Star's eight-year, $60-million contract expires at the end of 2024-25.