Trouba MASSIVE hit on Meier

[ahmon]

Yet players and coaches are talking about hitting players to wear them down in the playoffs. So isn't that intent? Sure they aren't saying we are going out their to try to kill a guy, but they sure seem to pump up the hitting to essentially slowly injury guys.

exactly, what the hell is wearing the opposing team down, its a nice way of saying inflicting damage and injuring the opposition.

That's playoff hockey, its been like that since ever.

Can't believe there are people who believe every hit is to ONLY separate puck from player. Come on now.

Tons of hits are intended to hurt the opposition. The ones that break the rules should be penalized.

 

[Ugene Magic]

There is a way to help curb hits to the head, like hand out 10:00 misconducts for the lighter no fault of the player that was hit variety. If players requires going to the quiet room the guilty has to sit ten minutes. These free passes need to end.

This one was a predatory hit being talked like it was a legal play and it clearly was not.

 

[Mathews28]

Principal point of contact is through the body, initial point of contact is head because he leans forward. He didn't pick the head and went straight through him. Arm is tucked and he doesn't jump.

I know Trouba is incendiary, but clean IMO.

Clean and legal..these are two different things to different people.

From the legality perspective, the rule states:
“A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted.”

So clearly, a main point of contact was the head. But there is the question of whether the hit was avoidable, right? On that point the rule offers three criteria (not on order for a reason):

- did opponent change position leading to the head contact?
Here definitely not.

- did the player assume a position that made head contact unavoidable?
Here…he put himself in vulnerable position that made a straight on hit a hit that would make head contact

- did the player making the hit attempt to hit through the body, and the head was not picked, or the head contact wasn’t because of a bad angle or unnecessary extension ?
Can’t comment on the intent or what he was targeting, but certainly did not take a bad angle or extend up or out to make contact.

By these criteria the refs got the call right. Legal check under the rules.

Was it “clean”??? Depends on what you call clean. If your clean is delivering a blow to the head that fits within the wording of the rules, then yeah.

If your version of “clean” is a hit that doesn’t go against the very basis and foundation of the rule, no it wasn’t.

This was a predatory hit, and Trouba is a master of massive, destructive, injury causing hits that are legal under the rules but which go against the concept of player safety and are often times unnecessary to achieve separation of man and puck, stop advancement of a player into the zone, etc.

There have been numerous questionable hits Trouba has thrown over the last few years on McKinnon, Khaira, Crosby in the playoffs, Seth Jarvis in playoffs, someone from Detroit if I recall. He’s a predator. He takes advantage of players in vulnerable spots, with disregard for the outcome. But he’s hitting within the NHL rules.

Scott Stevens never really had to pay for his legal, yet clearly predatory, hits that concussed so many players. I don’t suspect that Trouba will either.

 

[Crabapple]

I'm conflicted, but I think it's a clean hit? Don't like it though, Stevens-esque

 

[LuckyPierre]

Here is the hole in this. Meier never once changed his direction. As others have mentioned, he was a player already engaged with and Trouba took advantage of that. Players are always going to be engaged at the blueline.
Trouba didn't drive through the body, he drove through his face.

Explain to me how your first paragraph absolves Meier of responsibility to protect himself. Also explain to me where it's problematic that Trouba engaged with Meier. I really don't get what you're trying to prove.

Trouba checked through centre mass as he should. The safest manner of hitting is the centre mass axis, and that's exactly what Trouba did.

Had he opted to veer slightly left or right, that's where knee-on-knee scenarios, or exclusive head contact, should Meier adjust last second, would come into play.

Could Trouba hunch down a foot and still hit through centre mass? In the interests of self preservation, I'd never want to make myself shorter when dishing out an open ice hit, so thats a hard no from my perspective.

So it's a binary choice - don't hit Meier at all, or hit him centre mass with his head down.

Keep your head up, kid.

 

[Phil Kessels Hot Dog]

Trouba should have been given a 2 minute minor, but I had to go frame by frame to identify fault so I don't blame the refs for overlooking it. He pushes off with his legs in anticipation of contact - which is good if you want to win the hit and knock the guy down - but in order to throw a legal (safe) hit you should only start extending after the contact.

It's interesting that you've been a member here for 14 years and have never watched a hockey game.

 

[Mattb124]

It's interesting that you've been a member here for 14 years and have never watched a hockey game.

Or read the relevant rule….

 

[North Cole]

Clean and legal..these are two different things to different people.

From the legality perspective, the rule states:
“A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted.”

So clearly, a main point of contact was the head. But there is the question of whether the hit was avoidable, right? On that point the rule offers three criteria (not on order for a reason):

- did opponent change position leading to the head contact?
Here definitely not.

- did the player assume a position that made head contact unavoidable?
Here…he put himself in vulnerable position that made a straight on hit a hit that would make head contact

- did the player making the hit attempt to hit through the body, and the head was not picked, or the head contact wasn’t because of a bad angle or unnecessary extension ?
Can’t comment on the intent or what he was targeting, but certainly did not take a bad angle or extend up or out to make contact.

By these criteria the refs got the call right. Legal check under the rules.

Was it “clean”??? Depends on what you call clean. If your clean is delivering a blow to the head that fits within the wording of the rules, then yeah.

If your version of “clean” is a hit that doesn’t go against the very basis and foundation of the rule, no it wasn’t.

This was a predatory hit, and Trouba is a master of massive, destructive, injury causing hits that are legal under the rules but which go against the concept of player safety and are often times unnecessary to achieve separation of man and puck, stop advancement of a player into the zone, etc.

There have been numerous questionable hits Trouba has thrown over the last few years on McKinnon, Khaira, Crosby in the playoffs, Seth Jarvis in playoffs, someone from Detroit if I recall. He’s a predator. He takes advantage of players in vulnerable spots, with disregard for the outcome. But he’s hitting within the NHL rules.

Scott Stevens never really had to pay for his legal, yet clearly predatory, hits that concussed so many players. I don’t suspect that Trouba will either.

For me, if the hit is legal then it is clean. I think adding in a different definition for "cleanliness' is just subjective noise so that people can arrive at the conclusion that best fits what they want. If you haven't broken the rules, then I don't see how it can be dirty.

All hitting is predatory when you boil it down, you're explicitly trying to take someone out of the play and off of the puck and doing so when their focus is primarily not on you. By definition hitting someone requires hunting them down to some degree or another. Look, Trouba has had some shitty hits but this thread reads like a bunch of people are mad that he blew a guy up legally and they can't expect a suspension so they add in all this other sideshow stuff about how it's not really 'clean'. If it helps get the frustration out then fill their boots, but I don't really subscribe to it.

The adage about series' being long and making hits all the time wears the opponent down is continuously parroted and in aggerate its the same mentality as making a massive legal body check. Your trying to slow your opponent down through repeated wear on their body, or make them play the puck faster so they get hit less. Is a massive collision more violent? Yes, but it accomplishes the same task, it just does it one step instead of 70. People seem fine with the playoffs being a war of attition where everyone is "playing injured" and "battling" in the trenches but we draw the line at someone getting mortared.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

If the hit is legal then it is clean. All these takes about it being legal but dirty are absolutely absurd. If it is a legal play within the rulebook then it is inherently a clean play.

 

[hairylikebear]

It's interesting that you've been a member here for 14 years and have never watched a hockey game.

Care to elaborate?

 

[Dijock94]

Millions do watch, but the number of kids and high schoolers playing the sport has been consistently on the decline due to health and safety concerns. Smaller pool of players to push to the higher levels eventually affects the end product and probably also draws less people into being interested in watching the sport over time.

Try no one can really afford to have multiple children playing this sport anymore.

 

[theVladiator]

Reminds me of Wilson's hit on ZAR some years ago. Seemed legal to me at the time so I was surprised at a 3 (playoff) game suspension back then. Not expecting a suspension here either.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Explain to me how your first paragraph absolves Meier of responsibility to protect himself. Also explain to me where it's problematic that Trouba engaged with Meier. I really don't get what you're trying to prove.

Trouba checked through centre mass as he should. The safest manner of hitting is the centre mass axis, and that's exactly what Trouba did.

Had he opted to veer slightly left or right, that's where knee-on-knee scenarios, or exclusive head contact, should Meier adjust last second, would come into play.

Could Trouba hunch down a foot and still hit through centre mass? In the interests of self preservation, I'd never want to make myself shorter when dishing out an open ice hit, so thats a hard no from my perspective.

So it's a binary choice - don't hit Meier at all, or hit him centre mass with his head down.

Keep your head up, kid.

He was playing the puck and already engaged by other players. Trouba came up from his defensive position to lay the hit. So you think there's need to have 3 players defend Meier here. This is a three ring circus to absolve clear and clean hit to the face while not even noticing being distracted by other opposing players. Meaning, this wasn't Meier skating in open ice with his head down.

His head was up.

Trouba had plenty of time to understand what he was doing. That puts the onus on him.

 

[BahlDeep]

Devils fan here.

Hit was clean although ugly. Meier was leading with his head... there was no way for Trouba to avoid the head there.

The argument of Trouba not having to hit him is bullshit.

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

Hit was fine. Everyone knows to keep your head up when Trouba is on the ice.

 

[stephenball]

Reminds me of Wilson's hit on ZAR some years ago. Seemed legal to me at the time so I was surprised at a 3 (playoff) game suspension back then. Not expecting a suspension here either.

I had the exact same thought. Both basically going in to wreck someone and they help by skating full speed right into you.

If this was a hit Wilson made on Fox instead of Trouba on Meier Rangers fans would never stop crying about it.

 

[Phil Kessels Hot Dog]

Care to elaborate?

Sure. That's not a rule. At any level of hockey. Anywhere.

 

[hairylikebear]

Sure. That's not a rule. At any level of hockey. Anywhere.

I'm using rule 48. Trouba gets blame IMO because his early extension (mistiming the hit) is what clearly caused the head contact.

In determining whether contact with an opponent's head was avoidable, the circumstances of the hit including the following shall be considered:
(i) Whether the player attempted to hit squarely through the opponent’s body and the head was not "picked" as a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach, or unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward.

The angle of approach was also poor (face to face) but harder to fault Trouba for because of their positioning. This also wouldn't have been an issue if Trouba timed the hit correctly.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Reminds me of Wilson's hit on ZAR some years ago. Seemed legal to me at the time so I was surprised at a 3 (playoff) game suspension back then. Not expecting a suspension here either.

I think the difference between this hit and Wilson's is Trouba was a straight line to the core of the body. Wilson's hit was sort of a sideways one that mostly caught upper shoulder and head.

 

[MrNasty]

Absolutely loved the hit and was relieved to see no penalty on the play because it means a portion of the game i have loved growing up still has some of the gladiator esque sancitity that drew me to the game. Then I woke up today and was completly deflated to hear so much call for rule changes to prevent clean, open ice hitting. Concussions are killing our players etc. The Athletic article was so discouraging.

Guess what? The are more concussions in womens hockey that mens per game and they don't have hitting. There are just about as many concussions in soccer than hockey. Anyone that plays soccer knows concussions are very common from ball strikes and falls. Can you imagine calls for soccer players to run around with helmets on or kicking nerf soccer balls instead?

What Sport Has The Most Concussions? | Concussion Rate

Concussion is a serious concern for all athletes. In this blog post, we look at sports with the highest concussion rates.

completeconcussions.com

Sports are physical activities and injuries happen. Hockey is about trying to get a rubber puck from the other team and removing said player from puck is the objective. And for those saying it was 'unecessary'- give me a f***ing break; every single play in playoff hockey series has the objective of wearing down the other team. Hits are extremely effective at that!

 

[KCC]

The definition of “keep your head up”. Nice to see these big, clean hockey hits still alive. *chef’s kiss*

 

[Turin]

I can’t stand Trouba and if you want that hit out of the game you are saying you want open ice hits out of the game. Just be honest about it. There’s no way to police that hit without removing open ice hits entirely. Which would be a joke.

 

[glenwo2]

Came back later and was on the bench.

I wonder if he got a busted nose?

If he did, he'll probably have to wear a face-shield going into the Carolina series.


Oh hi, guys.

Whether it was legal/clean/whatever, the fact remains that Timo failed to keep his head up and he knows it.

He even patted Trouba on the chest at the handshake line, probably told him "hey. You got me good."

Old time hockey right there (some don't like it but I didn't see anything dirty about THIS particular hit unlike his other ones where he actually used his elbow).

 

[golfortennis1]

We don't see them often because it's not an legal hit anymore due to rule 48.

I'm wondering if anyone in this thread calling it clean or legal are serious or just here to muck it up. Ask yourself this: would the NHL create a new rule (and revised it for this purpose) intending to reduce head contact and injuries due to these type of "old-school" hits but still allow crushing blows to the head like this simply because the checking player "drove through the body of the player being hit"? It's absurd. It was absolutely avoidable head contact, and that is the spirit of the rule. This has been confirmed by news articles. It doesn't matter what angle or direction, the head cannot be the primary point of contact. And yes, changing the hit to avoid the head or not hitting a guy at all is the rule players must follow. The fact that the NHL is inconsistent in it's enforcement of its rules is the only constant from them.

I have to think it's the same people who say they like star players who "fight their own battles," because apparently it shows something that a star player missed a dozen games with a broken hand from a fight.

Maybe they figure if they support "tough" stuff on the ice, that makes them tough by association?

The hit was legal, but it wasn't clean. Trouba knew he had a sitting duck and knew what he was going to do.

I suppose there are a number of the same people who think Eberle was ok on Cogliano, cause...hitting!!

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Absolutely loved the hit and was relieved to see no penalty on the play because it means a portion of the game i have loved growing up still has some of the gladiator esque sancitity that drew me to the game. Then I woke up today and was completly deflated to hear so much call for rule changes to prevent clean, open ice hitting. Concussions are killing our players etc. The Athletic article was so discouraging.

Guess what? The are more concussions in womens hockey that mens per game and they don't have hitting. There are just about as many concussions in soccer than hockey. Anyone that plays soccer knows concussions are very common from ball strikes and falls. Can you imagine calls for soccer players to run around with helmets on or kicking nerf soccer balls instead?

What Sport Has The Most Concussions? | Concussion Rate

Concussion is a serious concern for all athletes. In this blog post, we look at sports with the highest concussion rates.

completeconcussions.com

Sports are physical activities and injuries happen. Hockey is about trying to get a rubber puck from the other team and removing said player from puck is the objective. And for those saying it was 'unecessary'- give me a f***ing break; every single play in playoff hockey series has the objective of wearing down the other team. Hits are extremely effective at that!

The game just feels stale anymore. No more animosity, no good rivalries, ni personalities, little incentive to watch a blowout game, etc. As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten away more and more from the game. What made hockey so great way the multiple levels and facets. I’m not a grug tier hockey fan but fights and big hits are absolutely exciting and entertaining. I always hear about growing the game by taking out fights and big hits. Do people not realize that those get people excited? I don’t want players leaving on a stretcher every game but there will always be injuries in a contact sport which hockey is. The players are well compensated. They know the risks. If they aren’t comfortable they aren’t forced to play the game. Hockey always had that X factor but has been losing it and losing ground keeping up with the other 3 sports.