Going after AaronEkblad and other Florida Panthers stars came at a price for Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning. As the NHL’s Department of Player Safety conducted hearings with players involved, a veteran minor-league player in Tampa has been suspended.
The NHL season wouldn’t feel right if there weren’t bad blood already boiling between the Panthers and Lightning. The Battle of Florida is alive and well—and the two organizations have yet to meet in an official game.
Following Scott Sabourin’s roughing call against Ekblad during the preseason finale, the Department of Player Safety stepped in, handing the forward on the Lightning a multi-game suspension.
“Tampa Bay Lightning forward Scott Sabourin is suspended four games for roughing against Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad,” as announced by @NHLPlayerSafety through its X account (formerly Twitter).
Sent a message
After a heated preseason game in Tampa, the Bolts and Cats met again in Sunrise for the third and final time in the NHL preseason. Right from the get-go, the Lightning came out of the gate determined to go after the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Just over two minutes into the game, Sabourin chased Ekblad into the end wall before delivering a body hit. It was all legal up to that point, but the undrafted veteran then struck the former first-overall pick in the face and dropped the gloves, even though Ekblad had no intention of getting into a fight.
It was clear the Lightning weren’t looking to win as much as they were trying to avenge the events of the past game. As a result, three Bolts’ players were ejected in the opening 15 minutes. What was supposed to be an exhibition turned ugly, leading to 322 penalty minutes, 16 ejections, and two suspensions handed out to Tampa Bay.
In addition to Sabourin, blueliner J.J. Moser has been suspended two games for boarding Florida forward Jesper Boqvist. Contrary to Sabourin, Moser might play a big role for Cooper and the Bolts. Last season, he made 54 appearances, recording 14 points (2G, 12A).
Can afford it
While a four-game suspension to start the season would be costly for any NHL team when it comes to key players, Sabourin isn’t quite that for Cooper’s Lightning. Since 2020, Sabourin has played in just 12 NHL games, being mostly utilized in the AHL.
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After signing as a free agent in Tampa during the summer, his role isn’t expected to change. His spot on the organization is most likely reserved on the Syracuse Crunch. Thus, him being suspended four games by the NHL is anything but a big blow to the roster in Cigar City.