Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad has undergone surgery to repair a fracture in his lower extremities and will be out of the lineup for 12 weeks, sidelining him for the rest of the regular season, the team announced Monday.
Ekblad, whose 11 goals this season are tied for second among all defenceman, was taken off the ice on a stretcher midway through the second period of last night’s game between the Panthers and Dallas Stars.
The injury took place after a collision along the boards with Stars defenceman Esa Lindell, during which Ekblad’s leg became tangled up awkwardly. Ekblad was in visible pain following the play. An air cast was placed on his left leg after the game.
“To be without a player of Aaron’s calibre and character is an irreplaceable loss to our hockey club,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in a press release. “Aaron is an incredibly driven and talented young player and a tremendous leader for our team.
“He has the heartfelt support of our organization, his teammates and fans as we wish him the best in his recovery and his eventual return. Despite Aaron’s absence from our lineup, we are confident in our group’s resiliency and motivation as we move forward.”
The Panthers had been bracing for bad news, saying on Sunday they expected Ekblad to miss “extensive time.”
In addition to his 11 goals, Ekblad had 11 assists in 35 games with the Panthers this season, his seventh since with the club since being selected first overall by Florida in 2014.
