Head of the NHL Department of Players Safety George Parros said earlier today that the league has decided to penalize Jacob Trouba for elbowing Evan Rodrigues in game three. The league declared that although Trouba would not miss any games, he would receive a $5,000 fine for his behavior.
Paul Maurice, the head coach of the Florida Panthers, was questioned about the elbow after the game last night. At the moment, he chose to remain silent to avoid getting fined. After the announcement of the sentence today, Maurice was questioned once more concerning the play and the fine. As usual with Paul Maurice, he provided one of the quotes of the year.
This seems to be just another instance of the NHL and its officials not attempting to influence the result of games. But in the end, their inability to safeguard athletes will only cause someone to sustain a more serious harm in the future. Trouba is no longer deserving of leniency because he is now regarded as a repeat offender.
