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New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has been fined $5,000 by the NHL – but he’s not getting any sympathy from Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice.
The league’s Department of Player Safety announced that the Rangers’ captain had been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for elbowing Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 26.
When the topic of Trouba’s modest financial losses came up at a media availability the following day, Maurice had a witty response.
“Take the hat, pass it around,” Maurice quipped. “Poor lad. Poor Jake. He won’t be able to eat.”
The $5,000 fine likely won’t be a significant loss for Trouba, who is on a seven-year contract making $8 million per season. This is the third time Trouba has been fined in his 10-year NHL career, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. His second fine came earlier this season, when he high-sticked Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins on Nov. 25.
Maurice Declines to Weigh In on Trouba’s Hit on Rodrigues
Trouba caught Rodrigues up high with his elbow late in the second period late in the second period of Game 2. Rodrigues stayed on the ice for a few minutes after the collision before heading back to the locker room with training staff. He returned in the third period and played in overtime, but the Panthers ultimately fell 5-4 to the Rangers.
The Rangers captain was first given a major penalty for the hit, but it was reduced to a two-minute minor penalty following an official review.
Maurice and Trouba are no strangers to one another, as the former coached the latter for six seasons with the Winnipeg Jets from 2013-2019. When he was asked after the game if he thought Trouba should have gotten a major penalty for the hit on Rodrigues, Maurice declined to answer.
“I think I’ve got enough on my plate,” he said, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic on X. “I’m not going to do any refereeing or player safety tonight.”
Panthers Look to Rebound Against Rangers After Back-to-Back Overtime Losses
The Panthers got off to a strong start in the Eastern Conference Final with a 3-0 statement win over the Rangers in Game 1 on May 22. But after back-to-back overtime losses — once at Madison Square Garden and another at Amerant Bank Arena in Games 2 and 3, respectively — Florida is now one loss away from heading back to New York facing elimination for the first time this postseason.
After falling behind 4-2 in Game 3, the Panthers mounted a comeback effort that fell just short. They tied the score at 4-4 to force overtime, but Rangers forward Alex Wennberg deflected the game-winning goal past Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to end the game just under six minutes into the extra frame.
Entering Game 4 on May 28, the Panthers are trailing in a postseason series for the first time since the 2023 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. Florida beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs before taking down the Bruins in six games in the second round.
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