Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended 20 games without pay Monday for violating the NHL and NHL Players’ Association’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, taking him off the ice for the defending Stanley Cup champions’ stretch run and start of the playoffs.
Ekblad in a statement through the NHLPA said the news that he had failed a random drug test shocked him, and he apologized for the error.
“Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel,” Ekblad said. “I have let my teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans down. For that, I am truly sorry. I have accepted responsibility for my mistake and will be fully prepared to return to my team when my suspension is over. I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates.”
Ekblad, 29, missed eight of nine games during a stretch in January because of an undisclosed upper-body injury. The Panthers have 18 games left in the regular season, so Ekblad would then miss the first two games of the first round before being eligible to return.
The No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, Ekblad has played his entire career with Florida, including a prominent role in the first Cup run in franchise history. He had 33 points in 56 games this season before getting suspended.
A message sent to the Panthers seeking comment was not immediately returned. The NHL said it would have no further comment beyond the announcement.
Prior to the trade deadline, the Panthers acquired another right-shooting defenseman, Seth Jones, though it was unclear when the team learned of Ekblad’s positive test result and ensuing punishment.
Ekblad is the first NHL player to be suspended for violating the league’s PED policy since Nate Schmidt in 2018, when he was unable to play in exhibition games and then missed the first 20 of the regular season. Schmidt was with Vegas at the time, coming off helping the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, and is now teammates with Ekblad on the Panthers.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, a player’s first positive test results in a 20-game suspension. A second is 60 games and a third triggers a lifetime ban.
Ekblad’s suspension comes with a mandatory referral for evaluation and possible treatment under a league and players union program for substance abuse and behavioral health.
Ex-Spartan Levshunov makes NHL debut
The nerves, former Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov insisted, were nonexistent ahead of his NHL debut Monday night against Colorado.
Excitement sure, but no pregame jitters hours before the opening face-off.
“Why?” the No. 2 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2024 draft casually said of nerves. “It’s a hockey game. I’ve got to go and do my job, play hard.”
The 19-year-old from Belarus doesn’t flinch at facing a tough inaugural assignment, either. Levshunov and the Blackhawks were trying to slow down Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the rest of the high-flying Avalanche.
“They’re a really good team. They have a lot of good players,” said Levshunov, who was paired with veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. “I have to play better.”
Attempting to stop this team, with all its scoring and speed, can only build confidence.
“That is almost better, getting thrown into the wolves here with (Makar) and Nate just flying at you,” second-year forward Connor Bedard said. “Every team you play has great players, but those two guys are flying. Every night you’re playing against great players so I think there’s going to be challenges every game.”
Levshunov had three shots and was minus-1 in 20:55 of ice time in Chicago’s 3-0 loss.
The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Levshunov missed the start of the season because of a fractured right foot. He was recalled by Chicago on Sunday from Rockford of the American Hockey League, where he had five goals and 17 assists in 50 games.
“Of course, I was dreaming about this all my hockey life,” said Levshunov, who signed an entry-level contract with Chicago in July after spending one season at Michigan State where he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. “I was waiting for this a long time. I’m so happy, so excited. Yeah, can’t wait to start playing.”
Bedard offered a piece of advice – soak in the moment.
“We’re not putting any pressure on him or anything,” Bedard said. “Just play his game. There’s always learning curves with anyone. We know he’s going to be great, and we’re just excited for him.”
More Monday NHL games
(At) Buffalo 3, Edmonton 2: Tage Thompson scored two goals sand Alex Tuch also scored to help the Sabres end a six-game losing streak in which they went 0-5-1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves.
Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse scored, and Leon Draisaitl had two assists for the Oilers, who have lost seven of their last 10. Stuart Skinner made 19 saves.
Draisaitl’s secondary assist on Nurse’s goal 1:35 into the second extended his point streak to 15 games. He has 11 goals and 12 assists during the streak.
Toronto 4 (at) Utah 3 (SO): Mitch Marner scored the deciding goal in the shootout, William Nylander, Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz scored in regulation for Toronto, and Joseph Woll finished with 30 saves.
The Maple Leafs had lost three straight (0-2-1).
Nick Schmaltz, Barrett Hayton and Michael Carcone scored for Utah, which had won four of it’s previous six games. Karel Vejmelka had 23 saves.
Marchand excited for Cup run
Brad Marchand wore something with his new team’s logo on it for the first time Sunday night.
He was FaceTiming his kids. There was a Florida Panthers hat on the table in front of him.
“We were about to hang up … and I was like, ‘before you go, look at this,’” Marchand said. “And I put it on. It was a weird feeling.”
Marchand still felt a little strange fully dressed in Panthers gear Monday morning: a red jacket with the logo emblazoned on the front, a matching navy blue Florida hat on his head.
But it’s a feeling he’s starting to get used to just three days after being traded to Florida from the Boston Bruins, where he’d spent his entire 16-season NHL career.
“It has been a whirlwind here the last few days,” Marchand said at his introductory news conference on Monday.
The former Bruins captain reflected on a successful career in Boston that included a 2011 Stanley Cup championship, 422 goals, 554 assists and four All-Star nods. He held back tears as he thanked Boston general manager Don Sweeney, the Bruins organization and fans for “great memories.” He fired off witty jokes about joining a team that has known him as more of a pest than pal.
“It’s extremely exciting to be a part of such an incredible group,” Marchand said. “And when I walked into the room the other day, I literally had flashbacks to the year that (the Bruins) won. When you walk in here and you see the way the guys interact and the relationships that they have … it shows why they’ve been a pillar in the league the last few years.”
Marchand had been in talks with the Bruins on a contract extension before last Friday’s NHL trade deadline, but Boston ultimately decided to deal Marchand as the two sides couldn’t agree to terms, shipping off its longest-tenured player and last remaining member of its 2011 championship team.
Marchand said he was disappointed when the trade initially happened. He would have loved to stay in Boston. He took out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe to thank the Bruins for helping him “achieve my dream of playing in the National Hockey League.”
As reality has set in, Marchand said he’s thrilled to be joining a team that looks primed for a championship run. He adds more skill and experience for the defending Stanley Cup champs, who already have plenty of star veterans.
The Panthers are 40-21-3 and in first place in the Atlantic division – four points ahead of second-place Toronto. Florida has won its last six games, has outscored its opponents 20-5 during that stretch and has given up just one goal in its past four games.
Sam Reinhart leads the bunch with 32 goals, seventh-most in the NHL. Captain Aleksander Barkov has a team-leading 43 assists. Two-time Vezina Trophy-winning starter Sergei Bobrovsky’s .907 save percentage is the fifth-best in the league.
Things were much different in Boston, where the Bruins, sitting at seventh in the Atlantic, initiated a rebuild one season after another early playoff exit.
“Ultimately we chase the Stanley Cup,” Marchand said, “and you want a chance at playing for that every single year. You never know how long you have in this league. You never know when your last day is going to be and you want to make the most of it.
“I feel rejuvenated coming here.”
Marchand is a known leader with a sometimes brash personality. He said he’s not looking to come in and take over a team that already has good chemistry and plenty of leadership, but he also won’t change who he is.
“I just have kind of an outgoing personality,” Marchand said. “When I get in a room and games on ice, my competitiveness kind of takes over. I get a little bit vocal and emotional at times. The great thing about when you’re part of a really good group, especially in the hockey culture, is guys don’t take things personally.”
He’s already getting acquainted with some of his new teammates.
He and Sam Bennett already have a history after he took a controversial shot to the head from Bennett during a second-round playoff series between Florida and Boston last year.
Bennett and Marchand also played together for Canada during last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
“Yeah, still a scumbag,” Marchand quipped. “No, Benny is great. We get along really, really well. I wasn’t surprised that we would get along. As much as you don’t want things like that to happen to you, I’ve been on the other side of that. And I know things like that happen because you’re competing. I loved being his teammate. … I’m sure my jaw is really looking forward to playing with him.”
The Panthers begin a six-game road trip at Boston on Tuesday. Marchand will travel with the team but remains out with an upper-body injury sustained in a March 1 game against Pittsburgh.
Coach Paul Maurice expects it to be emotional. He wants to give Marchand the space to take it all in.
“It’s not just your average trade,” Maurice said. “This is a player that was the fabric of the team and a storied franchise that has had very few captains over the years. This is a big, big deal. And it needs to be respected.”
Utah’s Valimaki out 8-9 months
Juuso Valimaki is expected to be out 8-9 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong said Monday.
The 26-year-old defenseman from Finland recently cleared waivers and was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League. He played one game for them on Feb. 28.
Valimaki’s extended absence means he will miss training camp and at least the first month of the 2025-26 NHL season. He has one more year left on his contract at a salary of $2 million.
A first-round pick by Calgary in 2017, Valimaki played 84 regular-season and playoff games for the Flames before getting claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes in October 2022. He re-signed with Utah in June after the club moved from the Phoenix area to Salt Lake City and averaged 16 minutes over 43 games this season before being sent to the minors.
Wild-card playoff race
Atlantic
▶ Florida 83
▶ Toronto 81
▶ Tampa Bay 78
Metropolitan
▶ Washington 92
▶ Carolina 80
▶ New Jersey 74
Wild-card spots
▶ Ottawa 71
▶ Columbus 70
Non-playoff teams
▶ N.Y. Rangers 68
▶ Detroit 66
▶ Montreal 66
▶ Boston 66
▶ N.Y. Islanders 65
▶ Philadelphia 62
▶ Pittsburgh 60
▶ Buffalo 56
Michigan hockey
Monday
Senators 2, Red Wings 1
Wednesday
Sabres at Red Wings, 7
Hartford at Grand Rapids, 7
Friday
Red Wings at Hurricanes, 7
Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 7
Madison at NTDP U18, 7
St. Cloud State at Western Michigan, 7
Saturday
Madison at NTDP U18, 7
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 6
St. Cloud State at Western Michigan, 6
Sunday
Golden Knights at Red Wings, 1
St. Cloud State at Western Michigan, 6 (if necessary)
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