THE In the NHL announced on Monday that the defender of Florida Panthers, Aaron Ekblad, had been suspended 20 games for having raped the substances program improving the performance of NHL / NHLPA.
According to the NHL Declaration, the suspension also includes “a compulsory reference to the NHL / NHLPA program for drug addiction and behavioral health for evaluation and possible treatment.” Consequently, Ekblad will miss the rest of the regular 2024-25 season and at least two games in playoffs, assuming it is healthy when the Stanley Cup qualifiers start.
“As the NHL has announced, I was suspended for violating the substances program improving the NHL / NHLPA performance,” Ekblad said in a statement. “The news that I had failed in a random screening test was a shock. In the end, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover recent injuries without first checking with the appropriate medical and team staff.
“I left my teammates, the organization of the panthers and our big fans.
This marks the first suspension of Ekblad’s career. Ekblad, who has spent his entire 11 -year career with the Panthers, is expected to become a free agent without restriction this summer.
Ekblad, the overall choice n ° 1 of the NHL 2014 draft, collected 380 points (118 goals, 262 assists) in 732 regular career games. The blue-line veteran recorded 33 points (three goals, 30 assists) in 56 games this season.
The NHL has not suffered a lot of drug suspensions improving performance over the years, but here is an overview of NHL players who have received prohibitions for taking medication improving performance.
Florida Panthers defender Nate Schmidt received a suspension of 20 games in 2018 when he was a member of the Golden Knights in Vegas. Schmidt was suspended the first 20 games of the 2018-19 season for violating the terms of the SUB-Improving Substances Program of NHL / NHLPA. Schmidt returned to ice on November 18 against Edmonton’s Oilers this season, and ended the year with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 61 games.
Shawn Horcoff
Former Anaheim Ducks striker, Shawn Horcoff, also received a suspension of 20 games to have violated the terms of the NHL / NHLPA performance program on January 26, 2016. Horcoff was returned to the NHL / NHLPA collective program for drug addiction and behavioral health for treatment under the terms of the NHL. The veteran striker, who had signed a one -year contract with the Ducks during the 2015 offseason, returned to the alignment on March 14 against the Devils of New Jersey. He finished the 2015-16 season with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in what ended up being his last NHL campaign.
Sean Hill
Former New York Icelanders defender Sean Hill has been suspended from 20 games for violating the Substances Program Improving the NHL / NHLPA performance on April 20, 2007. The prohibition took place in the middle of the Eastern Conference on the Buffalo Sabers. The NHL announced the suspension after match 4 of the series, which the Sabers won in five games. Hill’s suspension postponed the 2007-08 season after landing with Minnesota Wild during the offseason, and he returned on November 21, 2007 against the Vancouver Canucks. The 2007-08 campaign was the last season of the NHL of Hill.
Carter Ashton
Strong Carter Ashton, the 29th choice of NHL 2009 recovery by the Tampa Bay Lightning, received a suspension of 20 games for violation of the drug policy improving the performance of the NHL / NHLPA on November 6, 2014. In a statement by the NHLPA, Ashton said that it had ingested the Clenbuter training to treat its asthma. Ashton, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the time of the suspension, did not call on the ban. On February 6, 2015, Ashton ended up being traded before pursuing a career abroad in Russia and Sweden.
Zenon Konopka
The former Buffalo Sabers striker, Zenon Konopka, received a suspension of 20 games after testing positive for a prohibited substance on May 15, 2014. The regular sabers season was already finished at the time of the suspension because they made the series of the Stanley Cup. The Zonopka contract expired on July 1 of this season, which meant that its suspension could not be signified until it signed a new agreement. Zonopka never ended up serving the suspension when he signed with Sts Sanok in Poland, which marked his last season of professional hockey.
