In the Montreal Canadiens’ humiliating loss to the New York Rangers yesterday, an incident involving Justin Barron and Jacob Trouba stood out. Trouba, a Rangers defenseman known for his aggressive playing style, delivered a significant hit to Barron’s head. According to a Sportsnet journalist, Jacob Trouba is not expected to face a penalty for this action. Despite the Canadiens players denouncing the hit and Martin St-Louis agreeing that the head was the point of impact, Sportsnet reporter Eric Engels expressed concern for Barron, noting how troubling it was to see him assisted off the ice after hitting his head. Engels observed the hit in both fast and slow motion but anticipated no further discipline for Trouba.
Eric Engels stated, “It was tough to see Justin Barron take such a hit and be helped off after hitting his head on the ice. It was scary. However, after reviewing it, I don’t think Jacob Trouba will face any additional penalties.”
So, it wouldn’t be surprising if Trouba escapes punishment once more. Both Martin St-Louis and Nick Suzuki are likely to disagree, with Suzuki commenting, “I saw a replay; it seems he made contact with Barron’s head. Obviously, JB went down and wasn’t in good shape. The referees—a total of four—deemed it a clean hit, but we clearly don’t share that opinion.”
What do you think? Does Jacob Trouba warrant a penalty?
