Defender Jacob Trouba is known for his borderline checks. After being hit by a dangerous shot from the New York Rangers defenseman on Saturday, forward Andreas Athanasiou didn’t mince words.
As the Blueshirts trailed the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0, Trouba tried to wake up his team by attempting a hard bodycheck at the expense of Athanasiou. However, he was able to avoid the worst by slightly protecting his head at the time of impact.
See the check in question in the video above.
The captain of the “Hawks”, Jonathan Toews, immediately rushed at Trouba, throwing the gloves. Another fight broke out at the same time, between Connor Murphy and Barclay Goodrow.
Although this charge did not have any consequences on his health, Athanasiou was in all his states following the meeting.
“This guy [Trouba] is known for his head checking and his tendency to ignore the puck. He almost seeks to injure his opponents, reproached Athanasiou, questioned by the daily “Chicago Sun Times”.
“It’s his style of play, his way of doing things. He makes $8 million a year and has no goals this season, so he has to find a way to compensate. If you can’t help your formation, I imagine you’re trying to hurt guys on the other team.”
Indeed, the captain of the Rangers is in the middle of a seven-year agreement earning him $8 million annually… and he has amassed only six assists in 26 games since the start of the season.
Trouba has received only one suspension since the start of his career. In 2017, while playing with the Winnipeg Jets, he was sanctioned for a blow to the head of Mark Stone.
