Jacob Trouba's suspension fate confirmed by the NHL after brutal hit on Justin Barron

As part of the NHL’s ‘Frozen Frenzy’, all 32 teams played on Tuesday night and the schedule included a show down between the New York Rangers and Canadiens in Montreal. The night was a banger and especially for Habs’ Justin Barron who was crushed by Rangers captain Jacob Trouba, who has a knack for that sort of hits.

With New York leading the game handily, Trouba levelled Barron with a very questionable hit that got many people wondering if a suspension would come the Rangers’ captain’s way.

A fiery debate started on social media, with different experts commenting the play, which included former NHLer and co-host of the Spittin Chiclets podcast Ryan Whitney who stated that the hit was clean. Many pointed to Barron lowering his body to become vulnerable on the play, while others focused on Trouba’s reputation to be a head-hunter during games.

Officials didn’t call a penalty on the play, likely because the rules consider “whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position by assuming a posture that made head contact on an otherwise full body check unavoidable,” per the official rulebook.

Finally on Wednesday, insider Peter Baugh for the Athletic confirmed that the Department of Player Safety was asked to take a look at the play by the Canadiens, though it has been confirmed that no discipline will come as the DoPS saw it as a clean play.

It is not the first time Trouba gets away with potentially injuring someone long-term without repercussions.