Aaron Ekblad suspension, explained: Panthers defenseman banished two games after controversial hit vs. Lightning

Daniel Chavkin

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Aaron Ekblad suspension, explained: Panthers defenseman banished two games after controversial hit vs. Lightning image

The NHL has suspended Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad for two games following his hit on Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in Game 4. That means that Ekblad will miss Game 5 in Tampa Bay and either Game 6 against the Lightning or Game 1 of the second round if Florida advances in five.

On Monday night in Game 4, Ekblad hit Hagel's head and neck area with his forearm and elbow, ultimately injuring the forward. However, Ekblad wasn't penalized on the play, which angered Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

That hit occurred when the Lightning were up 2-1 on Florida needing a win to tie the series. Ekblad would go on to the game-tying goal as the Panthers won the game 4-2 to go up 3-1 in the series.

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The incident was only the latest in what has been a chippy series with many questionable hits. In Game 2, Hagel himself illegally hit Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, resulting in his own one-game suspension.

Additionally, in Game 4, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for his hit on Zemgus Girgensons. However, while NHL Player Safety fined Mikkola $50,000 for the hit, it did not suspend him any games.

Aaron Ekblad suspension, explained

After reviewing Ekblad's hit on Monday night, NHL Player Safety determined that the Panthers defenseman would get a two-game suspension, which will be served in this playoffs. The panel decided that Ekblad's hit was high enough that the veteran defenseman should sit for multiple games.

For Ekblad to be suspended, the NHL had to decide whether he hit Hagel in the head, which Player Safety ultimately deemed to be true.

This will be Ekblad's second suspension of the season, as he previously sat for 20 games after testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs.

Daniel Chavkin

Daniel Chavkin is a Digital Content Producer for The Sporting News. A 2018 graduate from the University of Maryland, he has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and NFLTradeRumors.com.