Before Aaron Ekblad ever wore an OHL sweater, he was already dominating older competition in southwestern Ontario. During the 2010–11 season with the Sun County Panthers minor midget program, his physical profile and hockey sense made him an anomaly. Patrolling the blue line against players a year his senior, Ekblad captained Sun County while displaying a 6’3”, pro-ready frame and an unflappable defensive presence that forced Hockey Canada to take notice. His dominant campaign with the Panthers sealed his case, making him only the second player after John Tavares to be granted exceptional player status into the Ontario Hockey League.
Unlike forward prodigies who could rely on open-ice agility, Ekblad stepped straight into the hardest positional transition in junior hockey. At 15, his role demanded that he absorb heavy forechecks from 20-year-old veterans, control the front of the net, and manage the game from his own goal line out.
When the Barrie Colts made him the first overall pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, head coach Dale Hawerchuk placed him directly into high-leverage minutes. Ekblad walked into a veteran Colts room featuring established junior talent like Mark Scheifele, Tanner Pearson, and Anthony Camara. While his physical stature allowed him to absorb junior contact without hesitation, his emotional composure kept him from making the impulsive errors typical of rookie defensemen.
“From day one, Aaron carried himself like a 10-year pro,” Hawerchuk said. “He never looked like a 15-year-old on the ice. He had an innate poise and strength you can’t teach.”
Scheifele saw the same immediate readiness on the ice: “You forgot how young he was because he was already 6’3” and making smart, calm breakout passes under heavy pressure.”
Under Hawerchuk’s direct mentorship, Ekblad developed pro habits early. Rather than letting his young star hunt offensive numbers from the point, Hawerchuk emphasized tight gap control, stick positioning, and heavy board work in the defensive zone.
“Dale treated me like a man right away, but he also protected me,” Ekblad said. “He taught me the small defensive habits that make a long NHL career.”
By his second season in Barrie, Ekblad anchored the defense during a grueling playoff run. The 2012–13 Colts went toe-to-toe with the London Knights, forcing the OHL Championship Series to a dramatic Game 7. Matching up shift-for-shift against London’s top offensive lines, Ekblad’s discipline kept Barrie in contention until the final second of regulation. That postseason run cemented his reputation as a big-game shutdown anchor.
In 2013–14, Ekblad took over as Barrie’s captain for his draft-eligible season. With teammates Andreas Athanasiou and Brendan Lemieux leading the attack and Mackenzie Blackwood holding the net, Ekblad operated as the team’s steadying presence. He dominated quietly. Rather than chasing highlight-reel hits, he used his long reach and frame to steer opposing rushes harmlessly into the corners.
When opportunities opened up, his offensive instincts took over. Running the Barrie power play, Ekblad unloaded a heavy point shot, scoring 23 goals in 58 games to set a single-season franchise record for Colts defensemen. At season’s end, he was awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman.
What defined Ekblad’s four years in Barrie was his deliberate emotional control. He stayed out of post-whistle scrums, managed his minutes cleanly, and ignored the relentless debate among scouts over whether a junior blueliner warranted the top pick in the NHL Draft.
In June 2014, the Florida Panthers chose Ekblad first overall, making him just the second defenseman in two decades selected at the topof the draft. Months later, he stepped straight onto Florida’s blue line, captured the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, and validated every step of his development.
From his early dominance with the Sun County Panthers through four intense OHL campaigns in Barrie, Ekblad met microscopic pressure with an adult composure that never wavered. Under Dale Hawerchuk’s guidance, he transformed exceptional status into four years of steady, commanding hockey.
Photos: Aaron Bell/OHL Images