10:49 AM: Arthue Staple confirms that there will be no suspension or fine for Trouba and that it wasn’t deemed an illegal hit.
He adds that Trouba was playing the puck and “followed through, wasn’t targeting the head or ignoring the puck.”
10:35 AM: Larry Brooks tweets that the Rangers have been notified that there will not be a hearing for Jacob Trouba’s hit on Sidney Crosby last night.
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Trouba hit Crosby in the second period last night and Crosby did not return to the game.
After the game last night, Elliotte Friedman said on Sportsnet, “It’s a really weird play. One of the things that you look at for potential suspensions or no suspensions is does someones head or body materially change right before a hit? If you look at this particular play, Crosby’s head and body do move, but the weird thing about it is, it becomes, because Trouba’s trying to check him, it’s Trouba’s own stick that kind of leads into it and Crosby’s head and body move. I don’t think there is any attempt here from Trouba to go for a head shot, I think he is trying to defend him and the play kind of goes a little weird.”
Former NHL defenseman Kevin Bieksa said on Sportsnet that “I think that when you are throwing a head shot, if you are throwing it with your stick hand, it’s impossible. It would be with the other and for Trouba and he’s going stick on puck and then he brings his arm in as Crosby is turning. I think there is no suspension.”
Adam Rotter: I’m almost always wrong when guessing what the Department of Player Safety will do, but I think they got this right. It’s an awkward play and unfortunately Crosby gets hurt, but the one thing about Trouba this year is that while he has delivered some crushing hits, they have all been legal.