Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad to have hearing for hit on Lightning’s Brandon Hagel; Niko Mikkola fined
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is set to have a hearing for his hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in Game 4 on Monday night.
Chris Johnston and Elliotte Friedman were the first to report the news.
Ekblad caught Hagel up near the head with his right forearm, which forced Hagel to head to the changeroom as a result. Ekblad was not penalized for the hit, while Hagel did not return to the game.
Aaron Ekblad lands a high hit on Brandon Hagel.
Hagel went down the tunnel following the hit and there was no penalty on the play. pic.twitter.com/SIt2nkyP2O
Ekblad scored in the game, with Florida ultimately winning the game 4-2 on home ice to take a 3-1 series lead. It was Ekblad’s second game back after returning from a 20-game suspension for violating the league’s performing enhancing drug program. Ekblad, a pending UFA, has never been suspended for an on-ice incident in his NHL career.
Ekblad has spent his entire 11-year career with the Panthers since getting selected first overall in 2014. The Windsor, Ontario native has 118 goals and 380 points in 732 career regular-season games, and a further five goals and 21 points in 66 playoff outings. Most notably, Ekblad helped the Panthers to two straight Stanley Cup finals, winning the coveted trophy last summer.
Hagel was suspended in this series, missing one game for interference on Panthers center Aleksander Barkov.
The Panthers could look to fill Ekblad’s roster spot with Jaycob Megna or Uvis Balinskis. Balinskis played in the two playoff gams Ekblad missed, but failed to register a point.
Additionally, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was ejected from Game 4 for boarding Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons. The NHL has assessed him a $5,000 fine, but he will not be suspended for Game 5.
The incident occurred just 19 seconds into the third period of the game when Girgensons was making a play with the puck, and Mikkola went for the hit to knock him off the puck. While the initial hit was clean and knocked over Girgensons, Mikkola then went for another hit while the Latvian was in the process of getting up close to the boards, and the contact slammed him into the boards.
Mikkola received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for the hit.
The Panthers will look to close out the series in Game 5 on Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM ET in Tampa Bay.
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