The “Trouba Train” is now a phrase that everyone who follows the NHL is familiar with. When it’s written or uttered, one thing is pictured: the now Anaheim Ducks defenseman delivering a bone-crunching, momentum-swinging hit on an opponent.
It’s drawn its fair share of scrutiny, as he often comes as close to the legality line as possible, sometimes crossing it, as he’s been suspended two times in his NHL career and fined four times by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
The latest appearance of the “Trouba Train” came on Friday night, when the defenseman delivered a hit on Washington Capitals rookie forward Ryan Leonard (20) behind the Ducks' net following a chip-and-chase.
Leonard was bleeding and injured after the hit and did not return to the game with an upper-body injury. He’s since been placed on IR and will be out for an “extended period of time,” according to Caps head coach Spencer Carbery.
After the game, Caps forward Tom Wilson offered his thoughts, revealing he attempted to get retribution for his injured rookie teammate.
“I saw it coming. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and the kid’s in a vulnerable spot,” Wilson said. “Obviously, Leno’s pretty banged up. I asked him (Trouba) to fight, and he said no, so we’ll leave it at that.”
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Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville wasn’t exactly asked for his opinion on the hit after the game, but was asked about his team’s response and praised them for not letting it get out of hand, as things have so many times in the NHL in the past when these situations occur.
“You don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” Quenneville said. “At the end of the day, I think that our response after the hit was in the right way.”
Their game against the Ducks on Friday was the Caps’ finale of a four-game road trip, after which they returned to DC to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. As mentioned, they’re one of the hottest (if not the hottest) teams in the NHL, registering points in their last eight games, winning seven of them.
Ryan Leonard (8th overall in 2023) seemed to be finding his footing (to say the least) in the NHL, as he entered Friday’s game with seven points (2-6=7) in his previous four games, including a four-point (2-2=4) game on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.
“Disappointing” is an understatement when it comes to a team losing a key player to their present and future. Carbery addressed the media on Sunday ahead of the Caps’ game against Columbus, reiterating his dislike of the hit and suggesting the NHL consider a rule change.
“Like I said the other night, I don’t like the hit,” Carbery said. “I understand the league’s stance and the refs’ stance on the hit. To me, we have to do something as a league. I don’t know where this goes; if anything, it’s just the head contact is the key, right? That’s the key to all of this, is the head contact, and whether he’s low, and he’s in a very, very vulnerable spot.
“You can look through the years at certain hits like this. When guys could hunt guys all over the ice. When you’re engaged, a majority of the time, when you’re wheeling the net, and you’ve got a defender on you and a forward’s walking up the half wall, happens a lot in games, and you’re about to pass it to the D, that winger can leave his coverage. His coverage is the D-man in most D-zone coverage. He can leave his coverage and go and hunt that puck that’s engaged, and he can blow him up every single time.
“Now, you’ve got to be careful with that if you make contact, but you could do it,” Carbery continued. “And it used to happen a lot more frequently, especially when there was more physicality in the game, more guys that weren’t as concerned with the puck in their shifts. So that’s the part that I don’t like. It looks old-school to me, of hunting a player who’s in a vulnerable spot. But I understand the league’s perspective on it and the actual hit itself.”
(Author’s Opinion): Carbery’s stance is understandable, and one most coaches, organizations, and fans would have if their player were involved in such an event. However, it can be argued that Leonard wasn’t, in fact, engaged or being checked by the other Anaheim defender (Olen Zellweger) at the time of the hit. Leonard was already beyond Zellweger, slightly overskated a puck, and attempted a behind-the-back pass to a teammate cutting to the slot.
The NHL rule book suggests Trouba’s hit on Leonard is clean, within the rules, and undeserving of discipline. However, discourse will continue surrounding hits of this nature, as it’s truly unfortunate when they result in players, especially star players, missing significant time.
The original call on the ice was a five-minute major and was immediately reviewed by the on-ice officials. Trouba is no stranger to these instances and offered his thoughts when asked how he felt it was handled by the game’s officiating staff.
“It was probably the right way to go about it and make sure everything’s okay,” Trouba said after practice on Saturday. “I’d rather them call the five minutes and review it, and if it’s a clean hit, let’s all move on. It was a clean hit in the hockey game. If it’s a dirty hit, you have the opportunity to review it and make the correct call.”
Leonard has 18 points (7-11=18) in 29 games for Washington this season, and no further update has been given. He was spotted wearing a sling on his left arm following the Caps’ 2-0 win over the Blue Jackets on Sunday.
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