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Breaking: Team North America has lost a player at the World Cup!

Breaking: Team North America has lost a player at the World Cup!

Player has been ruled out due to injury.

HockeyFeed

HockeyFeed

We suggested as much when we reported on this injury earlier today and now we have confirmation.

According to a report from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Florida Panthers defenseman Aaoron Ekblad has been ruled out of the tournament after it was revealed he had suffered a "mild concussion" as a result of a big hit he took from Toronto Maple Leaf Leo Komarov.

While there hadn't been any rumors, we speculated that a concussion to a player like Ekblad could cause the Florida Panthers to step in and yank him from the tournament, and while there's been no official word on whether or not the Panthers did make the call, it's clear Ekblad is done playing in the World Cup.

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It's hard to blame the team on this one, he is a young player who has suffered head injuries in the past, and they are looking to protect their long-term asset as best as possible. Ekblad is heading back to Florida to be evaluated, which also indicates "mild concussion" may be putting things lightly.