Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games without pay for violating the NHL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The league announced Ekblad’s hefty ban Monday and added that it comes with a mandatory referral for evaluation and possible treatment under a league and players union program for substance abuse and behavioral health.
The 29-year-old, who has spent over a decade in the NHL with Florida, has been accused of violating policy on PEDs just nine months on from the Panthers’ historic Stanley Cup triumph over the Edmonton Oilers.
He helped the team clinch its first ever championship in June of last year, when a crucial 2-1 victory in Game 7 of their series against Edmonton sealed the feat.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have 18 games left in the current regular season. It was not immediately clear if the suspension carries into the playoffs or the 2025-26 season.
Ekblad was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft and has played his entire career with Florida.
More to follow.
