Aaron Ekblad
Aaron Ekblad (born February 7, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Ekblad was selected first overall in the 2011 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) entry draft, and he was selected first overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut that year. In his first NHL season, Ekblad was selected for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game and earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie in the 2014–15 season.
| Aaron Ekblad | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ekblad with the Panthers in 2023 | |||
| Born |
February 7, 1996 Windsor, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | Florida Panthers | ||
| National team | Canada | ||
| NHL Draft |
1st overall, 2014 Florida Panthers | ||
| Playing career | 2014–present | ||
Prior to joining the NHL, Ekblad played major junior hockey for the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League. He was granted exceptional player status unanimously by Hockey Canada, thus allowing him to play major junior a year early. Ekblad has played more games and scored more points than any other defenseman in Florida Panthers franchise history.