Aaron Ekblad
| Aaron Ekblad | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
February 7, 1996 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | Florida Panthers | ||
| National team |
 Canada
|
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| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 2014 Florida Panthers |
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| Playing career | 2014–present | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
2015 Czech Republic | |
| Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament | ||
|
2013 Czech Republic | |
Aaron Ekblad (born February 7, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, and an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Ekblad was selected first overall in the 2011 OHL Entry Draft, and he was selected first overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
In 2010–11, Ekblad competed for the Sun County Panthers minor midget AAA team in Belle River, Ontario. He had 34 points in 30 regular season games and added 21 points in 18 playoff games. He captained the team and lead them to an alliance championship.
Ekblad’s application to be the only player born in 1996 in the draft was approved unanimously, after a six-week review by Hockey Canada. With the approval, Ekblad became the first defenceman ever granted "exceptional player" status. The status allowed him to compete in the Canadian Hockey League a year earlier than his eligible age. The only other players to have been given such eligibility are centre John Tavares in 2005, Connor McDavid in 2012, Sean Day in 2013, and Joseph Veleno in 2015.
In the 2014 OHL Coaches Poll, the results of which were released in Toronto, he won top honours in four different categories in the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League, earning first-place finishes for 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.
Ekblad was selected first overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers on June 27, 2014. He subsequently signed his first NHL contract on September 3, a three-year, entry-level deal with the Panthers. After making the Panthers' opening night roster out of training camp for the 2014–15 season, Ekblad made his NHL debut on October 9 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the game, he scored his first career NHL point, an assist on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, in Florida's eventual 3–2 loss in overtime. Ekblad later scored his first career NHL goal on November 1 against Steve Mason of the Philadelphia Flyers in a 2–1 Panthers win.
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