Jacob Trouba

Jacob Trouba
Trouba with the New York Rangers in November 2019
Born	(1994-02-26) February 26, 1994 (age 30) Rochester, Michigan, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Anaheim Ducks Winnipeg Jets New York Rangers
National team	United States
NHL draft	9th overall, 2012 Winnipeg Jets
Playing career	2013–present

Jacob Ryan Trouba (born February 26, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Trouba was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2012 NHL entry draft. Trouba played the first six years of his career in Winnipeg before he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2019.

As a youth, Trouba played in the 2007 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Compuware minor ice hockey team.^[1] He later played two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and at several international tournaments.^[2] He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, ninth overall of the 2012 NHL entry draft.^[2]

After finishing his junior hockey career, Trouba joined the University of Michigan for the 2012–13 season, where he played in 37 games for the Wolverines in his first season, scoring 12 goals and 17 assists.^[3] At the end of the season, Trouba was named a First Team All-American and was also honored as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) Best Offensive Defenseman. He was also named first team All-CCHA and an All-CCHA Rookie.^[4] Trouba was also named as the team's Most Valuable Player and Best Defenseman.^[4] He was the only freshman on the All-American team as well as being the first freshman in the history of the University of Michigan hockey to be named a First Team All-American.^[5] At the conclusion of his freshman campaign, Trouba announced he was leaving the team to begin his professional career with the Jets.^[6]

On October 1, 2013, Trouba played his first career NHL game for the Jets, scoring his first NHL goal against Devan Dubnyk of the Edmonton Oilers. He also added an assist in the game and was named the game's first star.^[7] During his rookie season, 2013–14, Trouba missed over a month of action after he was injured when he fell into the boards during a game against the St. Louis Blues. He remained upbeat in the aftermath of his injury, updating fans on Twitter by saying, "If you were wondering, the boards are not edible. I'll be back soon."^[8][9]

On September 23, 2016, Trouba released a statement through his agent stating that he had requested a trade from the Jets.^[10] However, on November 7, he agreed to a two-year, $6 million contract extension with the Jets.^[11]

Following the Jets' successful 2018 playoffs in which the team reached the Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, Trouba filed for salary arbitration. On July 22, 2018, he was awarded a one-year, $5.5 million extension with the Jets.^[12]

Trouba finished the 2018–19 regular season with 50 points,^[13] and was one of only three defensemen under 25 to score 50 points or more, along with Morgan Rielly and Thomas Chabot.^[14]

Following the 2018–19 season, Trouba and the Jets were once again unable to come to terms on an extension. On June 17, 2019, Trouba was traded by the Jets to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Neal Pionk and Winnipeg's first-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft, which had been previously acquired by the Rangers in exchange for the Jets receiving Kevin Hayes.^[15]

On July 19, 2019, the Rangers signed Trouba to a seven-year, $56 million free-agent contract worth an average annual value of $8 million.^[16]

Trouba scored his first goal for the Rangers, as well as two assists, during the 2019–20 season opener on October 3 against his former team, the Winnipeg Jets.^[17] Trouba tied a career-high in points,^[18] and he became the first defenseman to register three points in a Rangers debut.^[19]

During the off-season, Trouba was named the 28th captain in franchise history. He is the first captain since Ryan McDonagh was traded during the 2017–18 season. He also became the 12th defenseman in team history to be named captain and the fourth consecutive U.S.-born player to wear the "C" on his sweater after Chris Drury (2008–2011), Ryan Callahan (2011–2014) and McDonagh (2014–2018). Trouba had served as an alternate captain the previous two years while being lauded for his leadership abilities by both his first Rangers coach, David Quinn, and his successor, Gerard Gallant.^[20]

During the 2022–23 season, during a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at home, Trouba was involved in two separate on-ice incidents. In the first period, he fought Jujhar Khaira, whom he had concussed and knocked unconscious with an open-ice hit in the last game between the Rangers and Blackhawks the previous season.^[21] Then, in the second period, with the Blackhawks leading 3-0, Trouba delivered an open-ice hit to Andreas Athanasiou, inciting a line brawl that included a fight between Trouba and Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. After the brawl, Trouba yelled at and threw his helmet towards the Rangers bench.^[22][23][24] The incident and game was seen as a turning point in the Rangers season, who would go on a 22-4-4 run in their next 30 games.^{[citation needed]}

On April 5, 2023, Trouba was named the recipient of the second annual "Mr. Ranger Award" presented in memory of Rod Gilbert. The award is given to the Rangers player "who best honors Rod's legacy by exemplifying leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community."^[25]

The 2023–24 regular season was a major success for the Rangers, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the league's top team. Trouba had three goals and 19 assists in 69 games, and received the Mark Messier Leadership Award in recognition of his "leadership qualities" and his extensive charitable activities.^[26]

On December 6, 2024, Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick.^[27]

Medal record
Representing
Ice hockey
Ice Hockey World Championships
	2013 Sweden/Finland
World Junior Championships
	2013 Ufa
World U18 Championships
	2011 Germany
	2012 Czech Republic
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
	2010 Canada

Trouba spent much of his amateur career playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program in the USHL and at several international tournaments. He represented his country at two World Under-18 Championships, one World Junior Championships and one World Senior Championship.^[2] In 2011 and 2012, Trouba captured gold medals with the U.S. at the World Under-18 Championships.^[28]

Trouba was the youngest player on the American team at the 2012 World Junior Championship.^[29] In 2013, he represented the United States at both the junior and senior levels, capturing gold and bronze medals, respectively.^[28] At the World Junior Championship in 2013, Trouba was named the tournament's top defenseman and earned a spot on the All-Star Team.^[28]

Trouba was born to parents John and Krista and has a younger brother Chris. His brother also plays ice hockey and most recently played with the Plattsburgh State Cardinals.^[30] On June 28, 2020, he posted on Instagram that he married his long-time girlfriend, Kelly Tyson.^[31]

Trouba is also a visual artist, sharing his first paintings on Instagram in the summer of 2023. Trouba creates his works with artist Michael Geschwer by skating into blank canvases while wearing full hockey gear coated in paint.^[32] He held his first exhibition from August 1, 2024, through August 23, 2024, at Harper's Gallery in New York City.

In September 2017, Trouba's Jets' teammate Blake Wheeler criticized then-U.S. president Donald Trump's comments on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Trouba supported Wheeler and stated, "It takes a lot of courage to stand up to that, so I think it's courageous what Blake did and what a lot of athletes are doing."^[33]

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pt	PIM
2010–11	U.S. NTDP Juniors	USHL		31	3	4	7	31		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	U.S. NTDP U17	USDP		17	4	12	16	18		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	U.S. NTDP U18	USDP		10	1	2	3	10		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	U.S. NTDP Juniors	USHL		22	4	14	18	35		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	U.S. NTDP U18	USDP		32	5	9	14	36		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	University of Michigan	CCHA		37	12	17	29	88		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		65	10	19	29	43		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		65	7	15	22	46		4	0	2	2	2
2015–16	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		81	6	15	21	62		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		60	8	25	33	54		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		55	3	21	24	34		17	2	1	3	17
2018–19	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		82	8	42	50	58		6	0	1	1	4
2019–20	New York Rangers	NHL		70	7	20	27	61		3	0	1	1	0
2020–21	New York Rangers	NHL		38	2	10	12	22		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	New York Rangers	NHL		81	11	28	39	88		20	1	4	5	25
2022–23	New York Rangers	NHL		82	8	22	30	63		7	0	0	0	6
2023–24	New York Rangers	NHL		69	3	19	22	73		16	1	6	7	22
2024–25	New York Rangers	NHL		24	0	6	6	22		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				772	73	242	315	626		73	4	15	19	76

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011	United States	U17			5	2	7	9	10
2011	United States	U18			6	1	0	1	0
2012	United States	WJC	7th		6	0	2	2	0
2012	United States	U18			6	1	2	3	8
2013	United States	WJC			7	4	5	9	10
2013	United States	WC			7	1	2	3	2
2014	United States	WC	6th		4	2	1	3	8
2016	Team North America	WCH	5th		2	0	0	0	0
2017	United States	WC	5th		8	1	2	3	2
Junior totals					30	8	16	24	28
Senior totals					21	4	5	9	12

Award	Year	Ref
USHL
All-Star Game	2011–12	[34]
College
All-CCHA Rookie Team	2012–13	[34]
All-CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman	2012–13	[34]
All-CCHA First Team	2012–13	[34]
AHCA West First-Team All-American	2012–13	[34]
CCHA All-Tournament Team	2013
NHL
Mark Messier Leadership Award	2023–24	[26]
International
World Junior Championships Top 3 Player on Team	2013	[34]
World Junior Championships All-Star Team	2013	[34]
World Junior Championships Best Defenseman	2013	[34]
New York Rangers
Mr. Ranger Award	2023	[25]

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Mark Scheifele	Winnipeg Jets first round draft pick 2012	Succeeded by Josh Morrissey
Preceded by Torey Krug	CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman 2012–13	Succeeded by Award Discontinued
Sporting positions
Preceded by Ryan McDonagh	New York Rangers captain 2022–2024	Succeeded by TBD