The Panthers miss out on a big piece of their blue line for the rest of the season.
Defenseman Aaron Eckbrad was handed a 20-game suspension by the NHL on Monday for “violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancement Substance Program.”
Ekblad was not paid during his suspension period, and his ban will involve a forced referral to a joint program between the NHL and the NHL Players Association for substance abuse and behavioral health for evaluation and potential treatment, the NHL said.
In an Ekblad statement released by the NHLPA, he said that the failure of a random drug test came as a “shock” but ultimately took responsibility for the error that caused it.
“As the NHL announced, I was stopped for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancement Substances Program. The news that I had failed a random drug test was shocking. Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from a recent injury without first checking with the appropriate medical and team staff,” he said. “We've dropped our teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans. I'm so sorry for that. I accept responsibility for my mistakes and am ready to go back to the team when the suspension is over. I can't wait to learn the tough lessons and come back with my teammates.”
Monday marks the first time the NHL has suspended a player who violated the league's PED program since September 2018.
With a strange twist, Schmidt is now a teammate of Eckblad from Florida.
However, unlike Eklbad, Schmidt did not underestimate the halt, It said in a statement from that time He “didn't agree with the suspension” and “will not accept being labeled as a con man.”
Ekblad appeared in 56 Panthers games this season, scoring 30 points (3 g, 30 A). He helped lead Florida to the Stanley Cup last season.
Ekblad is the final year of his eight-year contract and is set to become a free agent in the upcoming offseason.
