While it has been a wonderful season for the Florida Panthers, it has been the complete opposite for their defenseman and alternate captain, Aaron Ekblad. The 29-year-old was suspended for 20 games back in March this year after violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program. He had unintentionally taken something to help him recover from injuries. However, he is nearing a return and made a candid confession about his absence on the ice.
Suspended on March 10, Ekblad would be cleared to return to the ice after the playoff game 3. Although it is not far away, it has been a tough battle for Ekblad, more on the mental front, to remain sidelined for an extended period. During an interview recently, he explained how the suspension took a mental toll on him.
Ekblad said, “That’ll be the toughest two games, of course; that’s obvious. So, um, I’m just going to try and keep myself in as best shape as I can so that when great game three rolls around, it’s easy for me to come back in and it’s not the first time that I’ve stepped into the playoffs cold, um, after injuries. Even so, um, I’m confident that I’ll be fine coming into it but those two games will be very tough to watch for sure.”
While Ekblad has denied any purposeful intention behind violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program, he has almost served the entire duration of his suspension. Despite missing a key part of the Panthers’ season, Ekblad has 3 goals and 30 assists to his credit this season. Nonetheless, he learned the toughest lesson of his life after getting suspended for violating the league’s rules.
Aaron Ekblad wants to give it all on his return
The Panthers would be boosted by the return of one of their key members in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Before his suspension, Ekblad was a treat to watch on the ice and a pivotal member of the Panthers’ roster. However, the suspension came at the wrong time for him, at a time when he was peaking.
Nonetheless, the 29-year-old accepted his fault and said, “The toughest (lesson). There’s so many ways you look at it: respect and integrity and character, family name, my teammates, fans. It’s every single which way you look at it. The money that I lose on top of all that – not that I care about in that sense; I’d give it all back to play. A lot of regret, but (it) is what it is, and I have to find a way to move forward.”
A random drug test on him turned out to be positive, following which Ekblad was suspended. Nearing his return, the 29-year-old is back in practice for the Panthers. Interestingly, back in 2022, he had missed 20 games before the playoffs and returned for Game 1 of the playoffs. Moreover, the Panthers are 6-8-1 since his suspension and would be boosted by his comeback. With Ekblad more ready than ever for the comeback, it’ll be interesting to see how he performs on his return.
The post “Tough to Watch”: Florida Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad Gets Honest as Suspension Takes Mental Toll appeared first on EssentiallySports.