‘Florida is home': Aaron Ekblad set to be Panthers lifer after contract extension

Miami Herald

01-07-2025

To Aaron Ekblad, there was almost no doubt about what was going to happen.
'It was always Florida,' the defenseman said. 'I don't think you guys understand: Florida is home.'
It has been his home for 11 years now, ever since the Florida Panthers selected him No. 1 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. It was home through a lot of the bad times, years of lean seasons and missed playoffs. And it has been home through the good times, rewriting the Panthers' record book individually and winning a pair of Stanley Cups.
He's not going anywhere anytime soon.
The Panthers on Monday night formally announced they have signed Ekblad to an eight-year contract extension that runs through the 2032-33 season. The deal carries an average annual value of $6.1 million.
'It means the world to me,' Ekblad said. 'Nineteen years is a long time, especially with one franchise, and I have so much pride and still a lot of expectations for my career in these eight years.'
Ekblad, 29, is the Panthres' second-longest tenured player behind captain Aleksander Barkov, with 732 career regular-season games played for the organization. Ekblad also holds the franchise's defenseman records for games played (732), goals (118), assists (262) and points (380).
He has battled through multiple injuries the past few years to remain in form as a top-pair defenseman, forming one of the top blue line duos in the league with Gustav Forsling, and taking more responsibility on the defensive side of the game after entering the league known more for his offensive production.
His perseverance and commitment paid off in the form of consecutive Stanley Cups the past two years.
'It's special for Aaron because this is his home and he created this,' Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said. 'He was here early. He stayed on through the transition. He was a part of the solution. And then he continued to elevate himself as a player, as a leader in the room, in where he is in the community and in the room. And then for the Panthers, it's a big statement to be able to keep someone for that long, and particularly a guy of his character, his personality, what he does for everybody, the community. It's a big deal, and it was special. It was very nice.'
And Ekblad has made it known that he wanted to be a Panther lifer. He played through the contract year with every intention of returning. Ahead of the Stanley Cup Final, Ekblad made an impassioned plea saying 'I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I've given my body and everything to this team, and I want to keep doing it forever, for as long as they'll let me come to the rink.'
But a contract still had to be agreed upon. There was going to be give and take.
Eventually, Ekblad and the Panthers' front office found a sweet spot that worked for both sides.
'At the end of the day, it's negotiations and things can go one way or the other pretty quickly,' Ekblad said. 'So I'm really happy and proud that things got done, but it was a extremely stressful few days. Both sides are playing hard ball at different times, and sometimes you feel like you're getting further apart or closer together, but ultimately we came to a deal and it was the right deal and a good deal for both sides. I feel it's fair, and I feel respected, and really happy that we were able to get it done. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders that I was carrying all year.'
He won't have to worry about that anymore, just like so many of his teammates.
Ekblad is now one of 10 Panthers players signed through at least the 2029-30 season, giving Florida five full seasons of continuity.
'It speaks a lot about the organization and everything that they do for us and how bad guys want to play here,' Ekblad said. 'Our practice rink, our game rink, the hotels that we stay in on the road, the food that we eat, the organization does everything for us. So it's easy to want to stay here. And then the culture of winning is just a huge draw to guys. It's the most important thing. It's why we play the game. We've all been taken care of extremely well. So I don't know how many teams in the league have 10 guys locked up for five years, but it's really cool and there's a pride factor involved.'
And for Ekblad, a legacy is all but secured. He'll think about that in due time. First and foremost, the focus is on continuing to build on the Panthers' current run of success.
'There's still a lot of expectation for my career and for this team and for all of us here,' Ekblad said. 'If we can continue to excel and do the right things and use the expectations and the responsibility and continue to build on it, then yeah, definitely legacy is a part of the conversation at that point. Definitely don't want to rest on our laurels, but finding a way to continue and be a successful team for the next eight years at least.'