It appears Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad will not miss any time after blocking a shot with his hand during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters Saturday morning that Ekblad is fine despite looking like he was in serious pain.
The incident occurred during Florida’s 5-4 double overtime victory Friday night in Edmonton that levelled the series at 1-1.
Ekblad was hit on the back of his left glove by a shot from Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse.
The 29-year-old from Windsor, Ont., led all Panthers defencemen in scoring during the regular season with 33 points (three goals, 30 assists) in 56 games.
He continues to lead all Panthers blue-liners in scoring during the playoffs with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 15 games and is second on the team with an average of 23:58 in ice time.
Ekblad, who was drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2014, has spent 11 seasons with the club and captured the Stanley Cup with Florida last season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The series shifts to Florida for Game 3. Watch live Monday starting at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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