March 28, 2021, Ekblad was stretchered off the ice following a collision with Dallas Stars' defenseman Esa Lindell. He underwent surgery to repair a left leg fracture the following day and was ruled out for 12 weeks, effectively ending his season. On March 18, 2022, Ekblad recorded three assists in a 5–3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, giving him 291 career points, the most by a defenseman in the franchise history of the Panthers, surpassing Robert Svehla. On December 16, Ekblad played his 574th NHL game, a 4–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, surpassing Svehla for most games played by a defenseman in Panthers' history. International play During Team Canada junior team's training camp in August 2014 in preparation for the upcoming 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in December 2014, Ekblad suffered a concussion in an exhibition game against the Czech Republic. Ekblad played for Canada at the 2015 World Championships, where they won the gold medal for the first time since 2007 with a perfect 10-0 record. Ekblad was invited to the play for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Team North America was a newly formed team that consisted of hockey players aged 23 or younger. He was later named an alternate captain along with Sean Couturier. During the tournament, he suffered an upper body injury and had to leave the team early. On April 12, 2018, Ekblad was named to Team Canada's senior team to compete at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. Personal life Ekblad's brother Darien, a goaltender, was drafted into the OHL by the London Knights. Aaron Ekblad attended Innisdale Secondary School and was an honour roll student in the Simcoe County District School Board. Ekblad was born in Windsor, but grew up in Belle River, Ontario. His great-grandfather was Swedish, hence the last name "Ekblad". During his rookie year Ekblad lived with veteran Willie Mitchell and his wife Megan. On July 30, 2022, Ekblad married his longtime girlfriend, Dayna Mastronardi, in Miami Beach. Career statistics Regular season and playoffs International Awards and honours References External links 1996 births Living people Barrie Colts players Calder Trophy winners Canadian ice hockey defencemen Canadian people of Swedish descent Florida Panthers draft picks Florida Panthers players Ice hockey people from Ontario National Hockey League All-Stars National Hockey League first-overall draft picks National Hockey League first-round draft picks People from Essex County, Ontario