Panthers' Aaron Ekblad suspended 2 games for elbow to head

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for two games for his elbow to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, the NHL announced Tuesday.

Ekblad had a phone hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety before the discipline was handed down. The Panthers hold a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series against their Sunshine State rival, but they will be without Ekblad for Game 5 on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., plus one more game.

"This is a direct blow to an opponent's head with an extended elbow, delivered with requisite force for supplemental discipline," a Department of Player Safety official said in an explanation video.

Ekblad was not whistled for a penalty on the play during the second period of the Panthers' 4-2 home victory over the Lightning in Game 4 on Monday night.

Hagel, however, was injured on the play and did not return to Game 4 after Ekblad's hit. He has been ruled out for Game 5.

"He is not playing (on Wednesday) so there it is, and you know why," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said on Tuesday.

Ekblad returned to action for Game 3 of the series on Saturday following a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's performance-enhancing drugs policy. Ekblad, 29, scored a goal and logged 22:11 of ice time in Game 4.

Hagel also returned following a one-game ban for his hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2.

Florida made Ekblad the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, and he has spent his entire 11-year career with the franchise. Injuries limited him to 51 regular-season games in 2023-24, but he suited up for all 24 playoff games as the Panthers won the first Stanley Cup in team history.

This season, Ekblad has played in 56 games and tallied 33 points (three goals, 30 assists). He has played in 732 career games and amassed 118 goals and 262 assists, adding five goals and 16 assists in 66 playoff appearances.

Also on Tuesday, the NHL announced Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola has been fined $5,000 for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons. The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

--Field Level Media