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Kevin Bieksa makes his thoughts on Jacob Trouba's controversial hit on Justin Barron crystal clear
Kevin Bieksa shared his views on Jacob Trouba's hit on Justin Barron after the Rangers' win over the Canadiens on Tuesday. In the third period, Trouba delivered a shoulder check that sent Barron to the locker room, raising concerns among fans and analysts. However, Bieksa, a former NHL player, defended Trouba, saying the hit was clean despite its unfortunate outcome.
"If you want there to be physical contact and big hits in the NHL, that has to be a clean hit. It's unfortunate that Barron sort of loses control of the puck, stumbles. Trouba keeps everything down, his shoulder down, it's big impact, the repercussions are unfortunate," Bieksa said.
He wants to see physicality in the game and recalls how stars like Wayne Gretzky managed aggressive hits.
"But that is a good clean hit that I still want to have in the game. Gretzky making all those plays with guys trying to hit him was super impressive. That's why I don't wanna see the hitting go away," Bieksa added.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety decided that Jacob Trouba would not face discipline for his hit on Justin Barron, raising questions about player safety and aggressive hits in the game.
After the incident, Canadiens defenseman Michael Matheson confronted Trouba, leading to Matheson's ejection from the game, while Jacob Trouba received a minor penalty. Barron sustained an upper-body injury and is now listed as day-to-day.
Chris Pronger questions modern NHL players' awareness following Jacob Trouba's hit
Chris Pronger defended Jacob Trouba after his hit on Justin Barron created controversy. Chris Pronger, a Hall of Famer who faced suspensions in his career, believes modern players often lack awareness. He pointed out that younger players are not trained to anticipate hits. They are skilled but sometimes fail to recognize threats on the ice.
"From minor hockey all the way up, that's just how they're taught to play the game," Pronger said via (nytimes.com).
"The mindset, the mentality, the lack of awareness that these kids have nowadays, is mind-boggling. They have no sense that they're going to get hit. They have no sense that, 'Oh boy, I've had my head down for a while. I should probably pick it up," Pronger added.
Chris Pronger also criticized the trend of players having to fight after hits, questioning why body checking is treated this way. As a two-time Norris Trophy winner, he remains an important voice in discussions about balancing physical play and player safety in the NHL.
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