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Jacob Trouba Confirms Rangers 'Threat': 'I Chose My Family'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Dec 7, 2024 6:00 AM ET

Former New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba, now a member of the Anaheim Ducks, didn’t hold back when discussing his trade from Manhattan to California on Friday.

Trouba had a video call with reporters and media members in which he addressed the trade, sharing his frustration with how the process unfolded.

The former captain was traded to the Ducks in exchange for fellow defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick, although the Rangers did well enough to avoid retaining any salary.

Trouba revealed he was ultimately forced to prioritize his family over his career given how cutthroat the Rangers were with his plans.

"I was put in a position this summer to make a decision between my career and my family, and I chose my family," Trouba said. "I would choose my family 100 times over again. I don’t feel bad about that, I was happy about it."

Asked if the Rangers hinted at waiving him to get him to waive his 15-team, no-trade clause so he could be moved in a trade, the veteran defenseman was candid and confirmed the speculation about it.

“Yeah, it was a threat,” Trouba said.

The 29-year-old defenseman explained that the situation became more public than he would have liked, complicating his final months with the team leading up to the final trade.

“I don’t like that it was made public or how things unfolded so publicly, but I guess that’s part of New York and what happens,” Trouba said.

Jacob Trouba was asked his thoughts on how his trade transpired:

"I was put in a position this summer to make decision between my career and my family, and I chose my family. I didn't like that it was made public. Kind of an unfortunate ending to a lot of good times in New York" pic.twitter.com/sPi3apVp7C
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 7, 2024

On a more upbeat note, Trouba expressed optimism about his move to Anaheim, where he will reunite with former Rangers teammates Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano.

He compared the Ducks’ current situation to where the Rangers were when he joined them in 2019.

“They have a great opportunity the next couple of years,” Trouba said. “It’s kind of a similar situation when I came to New York with really good young players that are ready to take the next step.”

The Ducks have started the season poorly, putting together the worst record in the Pacific Division at 10-12-3 while sitting bottom third in the Western Conference with 23 total points.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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