COLUMBUS -- Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will play in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).
Ekblad already was scheduled to take part in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports) as one of the six rookie stars. Those players were invited to take part in the Skills Competition but weren't eligible for the All-Star Game. However Ekblad has been added to the lineup as an injury replacement, joining fellow rookie Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, who was named as a replacement Thursday.
Ekblad was asked during NHL Media Day presented by DraftKings on Friday what it would mean to be named to the main team for All-Star Weekend.
"Quite an honor that is for sure," Ekblad said. "There are obviously tons of better players that could be here over me. It’s just the convenience of me and some of the other guys being here right now."
The first pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, Ekblad has six goals and 25 points in 44 games. He's third on the Panthers in scoring, and he's also tied for the sixth-most points ever by an 18-year-old defenseman. He's on pace for 46 points, which would be second to Phil Housley's 66 points in 1982-83.
Ekblad will be eligible for selection Friday at the 2015 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft presented by DraftKings (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports).
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.