Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left last night’s chaotic preseason contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning early, after just 41 seconds of ice time. His removal from the game came just after Lightning forward Scott Sabourin – a longtime AHL bruiser – delivered a big hit (and a punch to the head) of Ekblad. There has been no further update on Ekblad’s status and whether he suffered an injury, though as preseason games between rivals this preseason have featured unusually intense physical play, it would be no surprise to learn Ekblad was removed from the game for precautionary reasons.
If his removal was indeed precautionary, it would appear such a move was a wise one by the Panthers. Yesterday’s game featured a whopping 312 penalty minutes and 16 ejections, with the Panthers themselves getting an eye-popping 17 power play opportunities in their 7-0 victory. The game also earned Tampa’s Roman Schmidt a hefty fine from the Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Carter Verhaeghe. It is unsurprising that the Panthers would look to be careful managing Ekblad, as the 2014 number-one overall pick has been somewhat injury-prone throughout his 732-game NHL career. Ekblad has not been healthy for a full season’s slate of games in the 2020’s, and has played in fewer than sixty games in each of the last two NHL campaigns.
Other notes from the NHL’s Atlantic Division:
- 306-game NHL veteran Joe Veleno has been a standout player of the Montreal Canadiens’ preseason and training camp, wrote both Sportsnet’s Eric Engels and The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu wrote that it is “safe to assume” that Veleno’s performance this training camp and preseason has earned him a spot on the team’s season-opening NHL roster, which would be a crucial development for Veleno, who signed a one-year, $900K contract in Montreal in July. Veleno was bought out of his last contract by the Seattle Kraken, and appeared to be at a crossroads regarding his NHL future. The 2018 first-rounder appeared to lose his grip on a regular NHL role in Detroit and Chicago, just one year after scoring a career-high 12 goals and 28 points. Now it appears Veleno has found a strong fit with his hometown Canadiens, and could end up filling some of the role occupied last season by Christian Dvorak.
- Toronto Maple Leafs 2023 first-rounder Easton Cowan has been a hugely successful star player for the OHL’s London Knights, but hasn’t yet made his debut in professional hockey. That is about to change, and Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube indicated to the media (including The Hockey News’ David Alter) that Cowan’s debut could come in the NHL. Berube said that he believes Cowan is NHL-ready, and that his readiness has given the club “decisions to make” in terms of who to keep on its NHL roster. The Memorial Cup winner and 2-time OHL champion showed his pro-readiness in scoring 39 points in 17 postseason contests with the Knights last season.
- The NHL Department of Player Safety announced initial supplemental disciplinary actions resulting from yesterday’s violent preseason contest between the Panthers and the Lightning. Defenseman J.J. Moser will have a hearing for boarding Jesper Boqvist, Sabourin will have a hearing for his aforementioned hit (and more) on Ekblad, while Gage Goncalves and Roman Schmidt will each be fined the maximum-allowable amount under the CBA ($3,125 and $2,098.52, respectively) for cross-checking. The dates and times of Moser and Sabourin’s respective hearings have not yet been determined.
I’m sure a post involving the Lightning and Panthers will be filled with some unbiased takes on this website
These two franchises might want to steer clear of each other in the preseason. But it will be epic ugly if they meet again in the playoffs.
That is a huge understatement.
Two fantastic, Back to back tilts between two clubs that hate one another, Beyond entertaining games, I miss 80s hockey!!!
One of the worst examples of hockey ever. The NHL should be embarrassed and suspend everyone involved at least five games on rolling basis and the dipshit coaches for ten games. Taking hockey back into the days when no one watched in the 70s is not a good move.
Hey Wokester…..there is Tennis and Dog Shows for folks like you.
Love it or hate it, fighting kept hockey relevant in the 70s and 80s until TV picture quality could catch up to properly showing the detail of the game.
For a few years the Panthers have been playing on the edge and rubbing peoples noses in it. And they won…they wanted it more than anyone else and nobody stood up to them.
This past week, they got punched in the mouth, over and over again. It is fun and games when the other team gets hurt and guys get run….well it has come back to them in spades.
Hockey is a physical game and any competition with men always involves some sort of intimidation. It was not gratuitous, it was simply an escalation and nobody was going to back down. these are not just 2 winning teams, they are the standard Championship franchises for hockey the past 6 years.
The Panthers now realize that their cutesy Kachuck crap and the other bull in a china shop bottom line antics, will be answered. The bully was punched back in the mouth over and over again, and if you do not think it will affect their actions moving forward, then you know nothing about human nature and sports.
That is true if the Panthers have to play the Lightning’s AHL club. Real tough guy stuff when you let your minor leaguers take care of the rough stuff. Will those AHLers play in them real tough guy playoffs?
Ok buddy.
Lost in all of this nonsense is the fact that AJ Greer, Florida Panthers, reignited everything by sucker punching Hagel. He did not get the memo that none of that will be tolerated any longer.
The Lightning are always in front of the curve and watch the rest of the league, not that they needed the memo, to play Florida the same way. Their players have been bullying guys with little smirks on their faces, from Verhagae to Rodriguez. Believe me, they will not like it, nor will it serve them well as they deal with injuries. They will have a rough road making the playoffs this year.
Do your homework, this is an organizational thing from top to bottom. It started on Thursday and now will never end, to each and every player.
lol
Explain to me like I’m 5 years old why Carter Verhaeghe isn’t getting a disciplinary call, despite his boarding not being different than Moser’s, and despite Girgensens actually being injured on the play.
I would expect the Panthers’ discipline to be announced sometime later today. The “game” was so filled with dirty hits and intent-to-injure attempts that it seems laughable to imagine the Lightning being the sole recipients of the forthcoming fines/suspensions (and all of the impending ones mentioned in the article are completely deserved, BTW, just that they were hardly the extent of it all). But the folks at the DOPS aren’t exactly renowned for their consistency or intelligence…
I’ve been resistant to the Colin Campbell / Gregory Campbell conspiracy theory, but it’s getting harder and harder to ignore it every day.
Look at the score and which team is getting supplemental discipline. Tampa dressed AHL goons, no class, not hockey.
What did you expect when Greer attacked Hagel and injured him in the previous game? DoPS said, “Handle it yourselves,” but then said, “Wait, no, not like that.”
@Red Wings – Tampa has no class?!? HAHA! Florida is the definition of no class organization and a team filled with lowball goons who do blindside attacks and intentionally try to hurt other players. What Greer did to Hagel was not hockey as even former players like Ryan Malone, Pat Maroon and etc called out Greer as weak (Greer is a punk).
Tampa gave Florida a taste of their own medicine and a hardball reality check with a punch square in the face. It was 100% justified. Tampa’s owned Florida this preseason from the prospect tournament to the majority of preseason games with the exception of this last one. Tampa is out to take down those Florida dirtbags this season and the odds are in their favor as Tampa has a mean streak going into this season.
Same old playbook from @feel the teardrops. Pathetic but will be extra fun when the Cats once again send the Lightning home in April
Where do I start lol. First off, Carter Verhaeghe and some Florida players should be facing disciplinary action as well. If not, DoPS is showing their favoritism towards Florida as usual which is pathetic.
Scott Sabourin’s brutality on Aaron Ekblad was 100% justifiable and very well-deserved. I have no sympathy for Ekblad who’s a POS who sneak attacks and aims for other players heads all the time. Karma slammed him hard last night. Ekblad is a wannabe tough guy who faced an actual tough guy and got his punk a$$ whopped. Guys like Ekblad, Greer, Gadjovich, etc are legitimate low-life punks and when faced by actual tough guys they fall hard.
Tampa last night flipped the script on Florida and punched them in square in the face. Florida has been trying to intentionally hurt players on others teams especially Tampa these past few years. Enough is enough with that Florida goon squad as Tampa made clear. Tampa’s owned Florida this preseason from the prospect tournament to the preseason games.
This last preseason game, Tampa didn’t care about the score, they were out to make a bonafide statement to those Florida goons as guys like Sabourin, Schmidt, Lilliberg and so forth have no problem bringing the fight. Tampa didn’t even bring other heavy hitters like Lucas Mercuri and Milo Roelens to the plate. Game on!
Haha are those guys going to dress for the dolts in the regular season or the playoffs? If they do it will be the dolts that will Miss the playoffs
You live in an alternate reality lol
@jdgoat – LOL! No, you just live in a dense ignorance. Actually, what I said is true but you’re not that bright to begin with. You’re one of the biggest blow-hards on here.
@Citizen #12 – Wow…you’re quite stupid. I’m not even going to waste my time with such stupidity. Florida fanboys are the most arrogantly dense and obnoxious individuals. What is worse most of you are just bandwagon fans lol.
stay mad bro lol
@Begamin – lol not mad at all. I don’t care what some keyboard warriors have to say. Their opinions are irrelevant to me. So I’m cool.
You typed a novel on Hockey Trade Rumors about how upset you are about Panthers play-style, and you really want me to believe you dont care about other peoples opinions? How insecure are you bro
@Begamin – are you really this dense? I was stating my opinion, genius. That’s the point of these comment boards, if you haven’t realized that. It takes me very little time to type something. I didn’t know there was a limit on the size of a post but I guess you’re a post dictator or something. I’m not insecure at all as you’re the one coming at me like a whiney little b***h. I think you’re the one insecure here but hey, ignorance is bliss for you.
Yes, you stated your opinion, thats not what i criticized. Youre pretending that you dont care about anyones opinion on your opinion, which by your actions is obviously not the case. You care and youre the only one whining btw
Touch grass
@Begamin – you’re making baseless assumptions (not surprised) that I care and my actions don’t indicate anything on me caring about other people’s opinions. Just because I’m replying doesn’t mean I care but I will respond either out of curiosity or because I’m being unnecessarily attacked. Furthermore, I’m not whining, I just made a statement, as you’re the one here continuing to criticizing me on what I say (that’s whining through and through).
Go back to reddit bro quit crying
Says the biggest blowhard on this site
@ feel the teardrops congrats on winning the preseason , When is the parade taking place? Oh wait you still have to go through us in the playoffs. Should be a sobering thought for you guys. Book it now the Panthers end your season again in April
anyone ever notice the more pissy you get against this Panthers squad, the more they dominant you? lol
My favorite stat of that insane pre season game…. Niko Mikkola scored to make the game 8-0 Panthers… a few minutes later everyone realized he was kicked from the game and shouldn’t have been on the ice… so the goal was taken away hahaha
thats been their MO for a while. they embrace, as they should, and it works. makes for some fun hockey and heated rivalries. as a panthers fan its so much fun
@begarmin … 100% . Creates better games, higher ratings, and makes national news… all of which help the league. But it’s hilarious to watch teams get curbed stomped as they try to beat the Panthers at their own game…. I still remember the Oilers attacking all 5 men on the ice at once down big in the finals… the lasting image is all 5 getting beat down by the panthers at the same time while they in the middle of being blown out… the Gadjovich game lol
So, a Lightning podcast says they reached out to the league because, in their eyes, they felt that the Verhaeghe and Moser plays were so similar they were almost carbon copies, and yet Moser was the only player who faced supplementary discipline. The league’s PR person contacted DoPS, who doesn’t usually comment on plays that aren’t deemed to be disciplinary. DoPS said that with Moser, it’s because he went in a straight line and saw Boqvist’s numbers before boarding him. According to DoPS, Verhaeghe was coming down the boards, and Girgensens’ numbers were slightly turned before boarding him. That was what they took into account despite Boqvist being fine and Girgensens being injured, which is something that usually factors into the decision.
1) it was preseason 2) the entire game was batcrap nuts and I don’t think anyone should be fined or suspended because of it 3) it was glorious hockey haha
I guess. The Lightning start the year without Girgensens so it’s not like it was meaningless. I agree with Sabourin’s suspension. I think Ekblad is a headhunter, but Sabourin’s attack was pretty uncalled for, and Ekblad was hurt. I agree that Moser’s play was reckless, and I think that kind of hit is dangerous and shouldn’t have a place in hockey.
My major quibble is that it doesn’t feel right to me that Verhaeghe faced no discipline. It was the same general hit. I don’t think we need to break out a protractor on dangerous hits and see if the guy came from this angle or that. Verhaeghe could see Girgensens’ numbers the whole way. Girgensens got hurt, and it was a dangerous hit.
I just don’t see how Moser can get suspended and not Verhaeghe.
Ekblad is only a headhunter in your eyes because he got retribution on your boy Hagel by punching in his glass jaw. Well deserved too I might add