Aaron Ekblad Selection

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Lore & Background

Ekblad was selected first overall in the 2014 NHL entry draft by the Florida Panthers on June 27, 2014. He signed a three-year, entry-level deal on September 3 and made the opening night roster out of training camp. In his first NHL season, Ekblad was selected for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Erik Johnson. He finished his rookie season with 12 goals and 27 assists (39 points) in 81 games, leading all rookie defencemen in goals, power play goals (6), power play points (13), shots (170), and fewest shot attempts against per 60 minutes (38.04). He set a new franchise record for rookie defencemen in goals, assists, and points, surpassing Ed Jovanovski. On June 24, Ekblad was announced as the Calder Memorial Trophy winner. On March 18, 2022, Ekblad recorded three assists in a 5–3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, giving him 291 career points, the most by a defenceman in Panthers franchise history, surpassing Róbert Švehla. On December 16, Ekblad played his 574th NHL game, a 4–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, surpassing Švehla for most games played by a defenceman in Panthers' history. Ekblad won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025.

In Their Own Story

On June 27, 2014, the Florida Panthers stepped to the podium and selected Aaron Ekblad first overall in the NHL entry draft. He was the first defenceman ever granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada, a designation previously given only to John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, Joe Veleno, Shane Wright, Connor Bedard, and Michael Misa. Ekblad made his NHL debut on October 9, 2014, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, recording his first NHL point with an assist on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal in a 3–2 overtime loss. He scored his first NHL goal on November 1 against Steve Mason of the Philadelphia Flyers in a 2–1 win. On December 6, against the Buffalo Sabres, Ekblad scored a career-high three points in a 3–2 Panthers victory, becoming the first Panthers rookie to record a three-point game since Dan Boyle during the 1998–99 season. He was named the game's first star. On January 23, 2015, Ekblad was named as an injury replacement for Colorado Avalanche defenceman Erik Johnson at the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, where he recorded four assists for Team Toews in their 17–12 victory over Team Foligno. On June 24, Ekblad was announced as the Calder Memorial Trophy winner. On March 18, 2022, Ekblad recorded three assists in a 5–3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, giving him 291 career points, the most by a defenceman in Panthers franchise history, surpassing Róbert Švehla. On December 16, Ekblad played his 574th NHL game, a 4–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, surpassing Švehla for most games played by a defenceman in Panthers' history. On June 24, 2024, Ekblad won the Stanley Cup when the Panthers won the seventh game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. He helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup for the second straight time in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Reader's Guide

The 2014 NHL entry draft on June 27, 2014, was the moment the Panthers secured their franchise defenceman. Ekblad had been granted exceptional player status unanimously by Hockey Canada, allowing him to play in the OHL a year early. He played major junior hockey for the Barrie Colts of the OHL. In the 2014 OHL Coaches Poll, he won top honours in four categories in the Eastern Conference: best shot, hardest shot, best offensive defenceman, and best defensive defenceman. He was also voted second in the category of best penalty killer, behind Oshawa Generals forward Scott Laughton. After being drafted first overall, Ekblad signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Panthers on September 3. He made the opening night roster out of training camp for the 2014–15 season. His rookie season saw him finish with 12 goals and 27 assists (39 points) in 81 games, leading all rookie defencemen in goals, power play goals (6), power play points (13), shots (170), and fewest shot attempts against per 60 minutes (38.04). He also finished second in assists, plus-minus (+12), hits (109), and blocked shots (80), while averaging 21:48 of ice time per game. Ekblad set a new franchise record for rookie defencemen in goals, assists, and points, surpassing Ed Jovanovski. On April 23, Ekblad was named one of three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy along with Mark Stone and Johnny Gaudreau. On June 24, Ekblad was announced as the Calder Memorial Trophy winner. On July 2, 2016, Ekblad and the Panthers agreed to an eight-year, $60 million extension. He was also named an alternate captain. On February 3, 2018, Ekblad became the 15th defenceman in NHL history to reach double-digits in goals in each of his first four seasons. On March 18, 2022, Ekblad recorded three assists in a 5–3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, giving him 291 career points, the most by a defenceman in Panthers franchise history, surpassing Róbert Švehla. On December 16, Ekblad played his 574th NHL game, a 4–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, surpassing Švehla for most games played by a defenceman in Panthers' history. On June 24, 2024, Ekblad won the Stanley Cup when the Panthers won the seventh game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. On March 10, 2025, Ekblad was suspended 20 games for violating the NHL's performance-enhancing drug use policy after failing a random drug test. He became the first NHL player to be suspended for the use of performance enhancing drugs since Nate Schmidt in 2018. Ekblad helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup for the second straight time in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. On June 30, 2025, Ekblad and the Panthers agreed to an eight-year, $48.8 million extension.

Did You Know?

• Ekblad was the first defenceman ever granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada, allowing him to play in the OHL a year early.
• He was selected first overall in the 2011 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft.
• Ekblad won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie in 2014–15.
• He is the leader in games played and points scored by a defenceman in Florida Panthers franchise history.
• Ekblad won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025.