University of Michigan defenseman Jacob Trouba is built like a house (6’2″ 195 lbs) and when he hits people, it’s like a freight train. Unfortunately for Northern Michigan forward Reed Seckel (5’10” 173 lbs), he never saw this freight train coming.
The hit was a little bit high, as Trouba connected directly with Seckel’s head, and Trouba received a game misconduct and a one-game suspension for contact to the head. Seckel laid on the ice for a while, in some pretty obvious discomfort, but was fortunately cleared by doctors to return to action on Saturday night.
Personally, I think the only reason the hit was high was because of the size difference. Trouba wasn’t really targeting Seckel’s head, he was merely trying to crush him. That four inch difference in height is the reason that Seckel’s head went directly into Trouba’s shoulder. Luckily for Seckel he wasn’t concussed, because with the way shoulder pads are built today, it’s far easier to receive a concussion on these types of hits.
Trouba was drafted 9th overall in this past NHL draft by the Winnipeg Jets, and while Michigan has come out of the gate a bit slowly as a team, putting up a 3-3-1 record, Trouba has been outstanding. So far through six games, Trouba has six points and 25 penalty minutes; no wonder he draws so many comparisons to former Wolverine defenseman Jack Johnson.