Panthers' Aaron Ekblad Breaks Silence on NHL Suspension For First-Round Hit

“Going down the wall there, I’m trying to make a hit every single time I do that,” Ekblad said. “I do that all season. I was aiming for his chest and I caught him in the chin, and that’s unfortunate, but it’s not my intention. 

”I’m never out to hurt anybody on the ice.”

Hagel, who was concussed on the play and has not returned since, had sharply criticized Ekblad, questioning whether the intent was malicious.

“Purposefully going for someone’s head, it’s just as bad as it gets,” Hagel said last week.

Asked to respond to those comments, Ekblad replied, “Reasonable response. If that’s how he feels, then we move on.”

Florida coach Paul Maurice welcomed Ekblad’s return to the top pairing ahead of Wednesday's matchup, per The Athletic.

“He’s a big part of what we do,” Maurice said. “(His absence came when) you’re looking towards the end of the year to build that group as a feel. We get Seth in and Aaron’s still on our team and then we have a block of four games with three shutouts and a 2-1 win against Tampa at home, everybody’s pretty excited about the way we look, right? Then we can’t find him."

Ekblad has played only three of the Panthers’ last 25 games due to a 20-game suspension earlier in the season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.

Game 3 between Maple Leafs and Panthers is set for Friday in Florida, with the series shifting from Toronto and the Maple Leafs holding a 2-0.