Panthers Defenseman Aaron Ekblad Suspended for Two Games

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for two gamesfor elbowing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel.

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was issued a two-game suspension for elbowing Brandon Hagel in Florida’s 4-2 Game 4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hagel left Monday’s game with an injury after Ekblad laid a high hit on the Lightning forward where he led with his arms and made his head a primary point of contact. Ekblad was not issued a penalty on the ice for the play.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper ruled Hagel out for Wednesday night’s Game 5 in Tampa Bay.

“He is not playing tomorrow,” Cooper told reporters in Tampa. “So, there it is, and you know why.”

Ekblad’s hit on Hagel was the latest in a long line of hits which drew ire from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety and voices around the league alike.

Hagel served a one-game suspension during Game 3 for a high hit he laid on Aleksander Barkov in the third period of Game 2. He left his feet to deal a check to the head to Barkov away from the puck and was issued a five-minute interference penalty on the play and Barkov left the game with an injury. He returned to action the next game.

Matthew Tkachuk hit Lightning forward Jake Guentzel up high late in the third period of Game 3 and was issued a five-minute penalty for interference. The Department of Player Safety did not discipline Tkachuk on the basis that his hit was less forceful than Hagel’s and that Guentzel did touch the puck prior to the hit being made.

Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was also fined $5,000 for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons early in the third period of Game 4. Mikkola laid a hit on Girgensons while he was down on the ice near the boards and he was issued a five-minute boarding penalty and a game misconduct on the ice.

“It is getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every game,” coach Jon Cooper said on Monday night after Game 4. “So, let’s move on.”