The Winnipeg Free Press describes how Jacob Trouba is already a lot of things as a hockey player, an NHL first-round draft pick, a gold-medal winner at the World Under-18 tournament and a college freshman playing senior minutes less than 10 games into his NCAA career.
Topping the list of things the 18-year-old defenceman is not?
Dull.
The ninth overall pick of last June’s draft, his name called by the Winnipeg Jets, is what you’d call a play-by-play man’s dream.
More often than not, he’s the centre of the action, the one making all the news and noise.
It matters not the zone or situation. Trouba plays the game and he’s not waiting around for it to play him.
Less than 10 games into his college career at University of Michigan (eight points in nine games, including a team-leading three power-play goals), Trouba is not holding back because he’s new.
“That’s it; they recruited me to come here and play how I play. So that’s what I’m trying to do,” Trouba said after another eventful night Thursday, though his Wolverines lost a 3-1 CCHA decision to visiting Notre Dame. “That’s who I am. It’s how I play.
“I’m not changing just because I’m a freshman. I feel like I can add to the team so I’m going to try to do whatever I can to help.”
The 6-2, 195-pound blue-liner is on Michigan coach Red Berenson’s first defence pairing with junior Mac Bennett, an alternate captain.
Berenson is quite clearly ready to see where it takes them.
“He’s been an impact defenceman, come in and played pretty well,” said Berenson, the former NHLer, NHL coach of the year and 29-year veteran behind the Michigan bench. “I would say really well at times. But like any young defenceman, he’s going to make mistakes.
“At some point, he tries to do too much but that’s a good thing rather than a bad thing. As he gets more experience, he’s going to be a terrific player.”