Jacob Trouba on Aug. 9, 2022, became the 28th player to be named New York Rangers captain; Mark Messier held the role twice, from 1991-97 and again from 2000-04. His ability to stand out among the leadership group resulted in the honor during his third season with the Rangers after he was acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets on June 17, 2019, and signing a seven-year, $56 million contract with New York a month later. A 4-1 loss at the Jets on Oct. 14, 2022, was Trouba's 600th game in the NHL, making him the fifth member of the 2012 NHL Draft Class to reach the milestone (Morgan Rielly, Alex Galchenyuk, Tom Wilson, Cody Ceci).

Trouba's captaincy with the Rangers ended when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6, 2024, for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He won the 2024 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented annually to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, and plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.

He and his wife, Dr. Kelly Tyson-Trouba, founded The Trouba Creative Expressions Arts Program, which offers art services to adults with epilepsy and seizures through the Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York. Through the program, Trouba creates artwork, which he auctions off, by wearing his hockey equipment covered in paint and striking a canvas. He was also a finalist for the 2024 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, won by New York Islanders captain Anders Lee.

Trouba has many of the qualities NHL teams want in a defenseman: toughness, solid skating ability and a hard, heavy shot, so it's not surprising Trouba was selected by the Jets with the No. 9 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the Jets' 2013-14 season opener at the Edmonton Oilers. At 19, the Rochester, Michigan, native scored his first NHL points, getting a goal and an assist while playing a team-high 25:02 in a 5-4 victory.

Despite being stretchered off the ice during his eighth NHL game and then missing 17 games because of a neck injury, Trouba finished second among rookie NHL defensemen with 10 goals and tied for third with 29 points. He also led all rookies in average time on ice per game (22:26) and ranked third in scoring among Jets defensemen. Trouba finished sixth in voting for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the League's top rookie.

On Dec. 3, 2014, Trouba had a hand in all three Winnipeg goals in a 3-2 win against Edmonton, scoring the first goal and assisting on the other two. That performance highlighted an eight-game stretch during which Trouba had two goals and nine points. He finished 2014-15 second among Winnipeg defensemen with seven goals and third in that group with 22 points. His 120 blocked shots ranked second on the Jets.

Trouba had three points (one goal, two assists) in his Rangers debut against his former team, a 6-4 win at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 3.