Jacob Trouba levels Justin Barron with shoulder hit, instantly fights Habs’ Mike Matheson in retaliation. (Image Source: Imagn).

Jacob Trouba delivered a hard shoulder hit to Justin Barron during Tuesday’s third period of the Rangers-Canadiens matchup, knocking him down and causing the Habs defenseman to hit his head on the ice. Barron was helped off the ice with a bloody nose and likely a headache after the hit.

Following the incident, Trouba dropped the gloves against Mike Matheson, who immediately went over to the Rangers player. The two proceeded to fight, trading heavy punches on both sides.

Watch the video here:

Jacob Trouba leveled Justin Barron and dropped the gloves immediately after 😳 pic.twitter.com/SPnYwq1iQ5

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 23, 2024

The Canadiens’ Mike Matheson was assessed with a penalty for instigating the fight, along with a fighting major and a 10-minute misconduct penalty. Meanwhile, the Blueshirts’ Jacob Trouba only served a fighting major for his role in the altercation.

NHL explains Jacob Trouba’s hit was legitimate

In their situation room blog for the “NHL Frozen Frenzy,” the NHL explained there was no penalty assessed for Jacob Trouba’s hit, as officials deemed it a clean play.

However, Mike Matheson received a minor penalty for instigating after he confronted Trouba following the hit. Both players ended up with five-minute fighting penalties.

In the Situation Room, officials unanimously agreed that Trouba’s hit was legitimate and emphasized that Barron must be aware of his vulnerability in such situations and should be prepared for potential contact.