6:32 p.m.: Ekblad will miss Game 5 and Game 6 of Florida’s series against the Lightning or Game 5 against Tampa and Game 1 against their Round Two opponent. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced they have suspended Ekblad for two games for elbowing.
10:43 a.m.: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is facing another suspension after knocking Lightning winger Brandon Hagel out of last night’s Game 4 with a high hit, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet was first to report. It’s a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety, so he’s ineligible to be suspended for longer than five games.
Midway through the second period, Ekblad came down the halfwall to deliver a check to Hagel. Instead of making body-on-body contact, Ekblad raised his forearm to contact Hagel’s head, forcing the latter into concussion protocol. He did not return to the game, nor was Ekblad penalized on the play, in what many chastised as a missed call. Florida scored three goals in the final four minutes of the game to win 4-2 and take a 3-1 series lead, with Ekblad scoring the game-tying goal.
While the hit itself likely warrants a second look for supplemental discipline regardless of the context, the length of Ekblad’s likely pending suspension could be increased if DoPS determines it was a retaliatory hit. Hagel had just returned to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for interference against Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov.
Ekblad wasn’t the only Panthers defenseman to lay a controversial hit in Game 4. Niko Mikkola was ejected from the game early in the third period and given a major penalty for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons. He won’t face a suspension, though. DoPS announced Tuesday he’s been fined $5,000 for the play but won’t have a hearing.
The 29-year-old Ekblad had just returned from a 20-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances rules in Game 3 of the series. His goal was his first point since returning. He posted a minus-three rating across Games 3 and 4 while averaging 21:16 of ice time.
Clearly head hunting, clearly retribution, clearly an illegal hit to the head. This one should be a layup for the DOPS. But, considering Parros has worms in his brain, Ekblad will probably get off scot-free.
probably not
He’ll get one or two, rightfully so based on precedent. Really wish the DoPS would come down hard on these, but ain’t gonna happen with the meatheads in charge there
given that its the playoffs only a hit as bad as Raffi Torres on Hossa or Aaron Rome on Horton would be longer, im guessing 1 game unless the severity of Hagel’s injury is longer term, going based off of how long Hagel was suspended for the hit on Barkov being 1 game
The Panthers and Caps are both out here fighting to become the new dirtiest team in the league.
Tom Wilson would disagree.
I don’t like the guy, but he hasn’t been dirty.
Ekblad just came back from suspension lol
The league will give Ekblad a high-five, tell him to be nice and not to do it again!
My guess is suspended for the rest of the series regardless of how long it goes.
Hagel just has a glass jaw. 1 game no mire . Tampa should just stop crying. Whiniest little biach of a team ever
Can’t wait for game 7 and see the Panther meltdown about how their own stupidity and lack of discipline cost them a series.
I recall someone saying the crying lightning were going to win the next 4. End of series so forth so on. We shall see come tomorrow and then you all will be crickets again after the Panthers end your season again
OOF doesn’t take much to trigger this Tampa fan, though my team has the 2nd best lottery odds and im just unbiased for most of the series’ rn lol, Dallas will smoke any team rn calling it rn even without Robertson and Heiskanen they’re leading the Avs :)
@ Feel the teardrops
You make me smile! You are the pathetic one. Hagel started this whole episode with his cheap shot on Barkov. The only difference is that Barkov doesn’t have a glass jaw like Hagel. Also, tissue is on aisle 8
I genuinely do not like you
For now
I do not care. I probably wouldn’t like you either
Ladies, ladies, ladies. While you are entertaining, maybe it’s time to quit tossing tantrums and get on with your lives.
So the Department of Player Safety will finally do something about the dirty & lowball play of Florida but it takes a serious injury to Brandon Hagel to make it happen?!? What an absolute joke! The Department of Player Safety is utter crap. The drug addict Aaron Ekblad should face heavy punishment for head hunting but will probably only get 1 game suspension. Niko Mikkola should have faced a suspension too for his head shot to Zemgus Girgensons but instead just gets a slap on the wrist. The NHL is so incompetent on this.
Panthers are just a POS team & the Florida fans that cheered an injury to Hagel is disgusting which shows what kind of classless scumbag fans they have for their team.
can you show me that same energy you had after game 2? I’ll wait (for those wondering this guy is a massive Tampa homer who can’t handle his team can’t hang with the champs)
@jeremyn – you’re an ignorant buffoon.
way to stand up for yourself there guy lol
Love the Panther fans. They win one cup and they act like they are the 85 Oilers.
Ekblad the cheater will sit the rest of the series. Mikola targeted the head as well.
Hagel at least hit his guy shoulder to shoulder..like a man would….
The Panthers bad boy schtik is getting played out.
Is the jaw considered part of the shoulder? The panthers beat the criers two games without Ekblad already
Shows just how soft this game has become, none of these guys could survive in hockey pre-2000.
Very true, however, most of the guys pre 2000 could not keep up with the pace the game is played today.
The game pre 2000 still had a red line and two line offside passes called. Players weren’t as slow as some seem to think.
Appropriate suspension.
It was a stupid goon play. Hockey doesn’t need that garbage, there’s plenty of ways to impose your will without forearm smashing your opponent.
goon city utah. was worth it though it won them the game. he scores, not enough forwards for that particular third period, five minute penalty backfired, hagel injured, etc
It is more common of a play in the playoffs than you think. In the Dallas game right afterwards, there was a player from Dallas that tried the same exact move. I am not saying Ekblad shouldn’t have been suspended. The difference being the Dallas defender missed and Ekblad hit the glass jaw of Schmagel.
This board feels like the same two guys going back and forth using different screen names.
Canes fans hoping each player in this series is too battered to continue.
A Tampa fan mentioned, can’t wait for Gm 7 to see the Panthers whining about their loss. Buddy, to get to Gm 7, the Bolts have to win games 5 and 6 first. Pretty tall order.
But MT got nothing… The NHL is a joke. The worst officiated professional league that exists. If they did their job, players wouldn’t be running amuck. Just make the calls when they happen and players behaviour will change. Stupid!