To say Jacob Trouba is one of the most feared body-checkers in professional hockey would be a bit of an understatement. Perhaps another way of putting it would be to say that Trouba is hockey’s version of a professional assassin.
Trouba laid out Nazem Khadri of the Calgary Flames last night for what has to be the latest in a league-leading highlight reel of rock ’em-sock em’ that Don Cherry would be proud of.
He’s lethal. If you’re an opposing forward cruising through the neutral zone, you’ve got about a micro-second of good health remaining before Trouba hits you back into last Tuesday. This guy’s going to take your head off. Just ask current NHL’ers who have shared a violent collision with him.
What makes it even more of a thing is the man can fight. Pity the poor guy closest on the ice who has to make Trouba “pay” the price for that hit according to hockey’s code.
All I can say is, if you’re going to fight him, at least make sure the linesmen are close by. Another smart move would be to step on a dime. Or leave the area completely.
It all comes down to colour in the end, as in what colour of flowers do you want in your hospital room, because that’s where this story’s going to end up.
Trouba is the captain of the New York Rangers. NHL franchises rarely reward goons with the C, so it gives you a sense of how important he is to that franchise. He’s not so much a goon as he is a truculent player, a feared hitter, and an equally feared fighter who can actually play the game with skill and tenacity. Who doesn’t want a player like that on their team?
He sort of reminds me of Scott Stevens, a head-hunter extraordinaire from a couple of decades back. Stevens didn’t hit you to check you, and he didn’t hit you to hurt you. He hit you to kill you, and he’d come all the way across the ice to do it.
Anyways, I have a couple of tips to help NHL players get through a game with the Rangers without trauma doctors on call.
Keep your head up.
Know if he’s on the ice, and if he is, where on the ice.
Get off the ice.
NEWSMAGRENFREW 