NHL makes final decision on New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba's brutal hit

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba has made the headlines once again for a brutal elbow-hit to the head. This time around, Trouba delivered the blow to Montreal Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron, who exited the game with an injury. After the game, the NHL made official its final decision on the incident.

The Rangers put on another strong performance and improved to a 5-0-1 record after a 7-2 win against the Canadiens at Centre Bell. New York is on a four-game win streak and will host reigning Stanley Cup Champions, Florida Panthers up next.

In a much-anticipated Eastern Conference Final rematch, the Rangers hope to have all hands on deck. Jacob Trouba delivered an elbow to the head of the Canadiens’ Justin Barron which left Montreal players candid; however, no penalty was called on the ice. And the NHL has confirmed that the Rangers captain will not receive any disciplinary sanctions.

Upon review by the NHL: “it was determined that Trouba’s hit was a legal full body check with Barron’s chest as the main point of contact. If there was contact with Barron’s head, that contact was covered under Rule 48.1, which considers “whether the player attempted to hit squarely through the opponent’s body and the head was not ‘picked’ as a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach, or unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward.”

Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers in action against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden on September 24, 2024 in New York City.

Montreal’s outburst with decision

Shortly after the brutal hit on Barron, Mike Matheson scuffled with Trouba. However, that only earned him an instigator penalty to accompany the five-minute fighting penalty handed to both players. After the game, the Canadiens were vocal with the on-ice officials and called out the league’s Department of Player Safety to take action.

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“They had a clean hit on the ice, we have a hit to the head from a player that’s had multiple, multiple warnings,” Brendan Gallagher said, via TheAthletic. “So, whether the league decides to do the right thing, whether he gets another pass, that’s up to them. … I think it’s a head shot, but we’ll see what happens.”

Trouba’s controversial antics

When it comes to dangerous hits and cheap shots, Jacob Trouba is a repeat offender. Throughout his career, the Rangers skipper has been suspended twice and fined four times. His most recent incident occurred during the 2024 ECF as he elbowed Panthers’ Evan Rodrigues in the head. Though Trouba’s hit was called for a penalty, the NHL fined him $5,000 for the unsportsmanlike play.

The Rangers captain is an aggresive hockey player; he walks on a thin line between entertaining physicality and health-threatening stunts. However, the NHL has deemed his latest controversy to be a legal hit. A decision that enraged many fans, not just the ones north of the 49th parallel.