Tom Wilson, Capitals Respond To Jacob Trouba's Hit On Ryan Leonard, Say Ducks Defenseman Declined To Answer Bell
Leonard was left bloodied and injured following a heavy high hit from Trouba.
From the bench, Washington Capitals alternate captain Tom Wilson could see it coming.
Ryan Leonard was skating behind the Anaheim Ducks bench, looking over his shoulder as he played the puck, and at the same time, saw Jacob Trouba, shoulder down, going in for the heavy hit.
No. 43 could guess what came next.
Trouba’s shoulder caught Leonard high, leaving the rookie bloodied and down on the ice. He was able to skate off under his own power, but did not return to the game.
Simply put, Wilson, known for his heavy hits over the course of his career, didn’t like the play at all.
“He knows exactly what he was doing,” Wilson said of Trouba’s hit. “Kid’s in a vulnerable spot and obviously Leno’s pretty banged up.”
There was initially a major penalty called on the play, but after review, it was overturned. Trouba received no discipline, and the Capitals would also go shorthanded, with Jakob Chychrun taking a roughing penalty for retaliating following the check.
Wilson said he asked Trouba to fight as a way of answering the bell, but Trouba declined.
Last season, talking to Wilson about the “unwritten code” in hockey, he voiced his appreciation for players who responded and stood by their actions when it came to big hits or collisions.
“Sometimes you don’t mean to do something, but the code of hockey says you stand up for yourself and you answer the bell,” Wilson said at the time. “You give the other team an option to stand up for their guy.”
Coach Spencer Carbery didn’t have much of an update on Leonard following the team’s eventual 4-3 shootout loss, stating that the rookie, who entered Friday’s contest on a four-game point streak, would be out while also voicing his disdain for the hit.
“The thing I don’t like about the hit - so there’s big hits and guys get hurt. It’s a fast game. What I don’t like about that specific hit is he’s engaged with another player. When Leno’s engaged behind the net… that’s now a player looking for someone who’s in a vulnerable spot,” Carbery said.
While Wilson and the Capitals weren’t impressed with Trouba, the alternate captain did cite Leonard’s resilience.
“I’m proud of Leno. Not many kids get up and skate off the ice after a hit like that,” Wilson said. “He’s in there and hanging with the guys. He’s such a good kid, so it sucks to see that, but he’ll be back. He’s got a long career ahead of him and excited to see him get back and continue on doing special things.