Top NHL pick Aaron Ekblad sustains concussion; out for Team Canada’s camp

BROSSARD, Que. — The best worst news for Aaron Ekblad is that the NHL's first overall pick is not showing signs of a severe brain injury.

The 18-year-old defenceman wobbled off the ice late in Team Canada's 6-2 exhibition win over the Czech Republic after being checked at his offensive blueline by defenceman Lukas Klok. With Ekblad's focus being more on making the Florida Panthers next month, Hockey Canada has opted to hold the NHL's first overall pick out of the rest of its summer development camp.

"We had a discussion with Florida last night; Aaron was re-evaluated this morning," said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. "He's got a concussion and will miss the remainder of the camp. We worked with the Panthers. We expect a full recovery.

"He tested low," Salmond added when asked if there was any hints about the severity of Ekblad's injury. "When he did his [baseline] test last night his scores were low which was a good thing. When he came in this morning [the grogginess] hadn't cleared. He still felt foggy. In discussions, we still felt, at this time of year, take every precaution and make sure he's healthy and ready to go to his camp."

'Hockey play'

Ekblad is one three holdovers on the blueline from the 2014 team that finished a disappointing fourth in Malmo, Sweden. It is too early to hazard a guess about how this would affect his chances of making Florida full-time. No first overall pick has been returned to his junior club since Chris Phillips in 1996.

"It's too bad for him," Team Canada coach Benoît Groulx said. "Obviously we've got to be cautious with our guys. We wish him the best. He's going to need a little bit of time to recover. What matters the most for him is to be ready for this camp. We'll see how it goes for him."

On the play, Ekblad had carried the puck to the Czech blueline and dumped it to the near corner before the 5-foot-11, 161-pound Klok stepped up to throw a check.

"It was a hockey play," Salmond said. "We didn't think it was a dirty play. It's something that happens. Unfortunately it happened to him and it happened at our camp."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.