Ekblad could be suspended in the Stanley Cup Final after dangerous choke applied

The Florida Panthers have a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals and look to be in firm control of the series, but if the NHL's Department of Player Safety has anything to say about it, we could see the scales balanced a bit this week.

During last night's Game 2, Ekblad may have landed himself in some hot water when he approached Bouchard from behind, slipped his arm under the chin and across the neck, locking his arms and clamping down hard in what is called a "rear naked choke" in the art of Jiu Jitsu.

While I'm sure many people view the choke as somewhat harmless, it's important to note that Bouchard was in clear distress here, dropping his stick in an attempt to grab ahold of Ekblad's arm to try to relieve the pressure on his neck. Bouchard can even be seen "tapping out", a general request in the martial arts community to break the hold.

A properly applied rear naked choke can cut off the blood supply to the brain, rendering an opponent unconscious in approximately 10 seconds. If the hold isn't released within 30 seconds, brain cells can begin to die. A choke held for around a minute and a half to three minutes can actually kill someone.

If Bouchard isn't suspended for this one, he should consider himself extremely lucky. A choke like this is not a hockey technique and can br extremely dangerous.