Jacob Trouba and Grayson Murray. Getty Images (2)
New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba responded to a podcaster who ripped him in a prolonged rant, invoking Grayson Murray, the golfer who died by suicide on May 25.
Pasha Eshghi, a contributor to Barstool Sports podcast “Spittin’ Chiclets,” discussed Trouba’s performance in the New York Rangers’ playoff loss to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In a clip he shared via X on May 31, Eshghi criticized Trouba as a player, then attacked him as the husband of a neuroscience major who cofounded an organization helping adults with epilepsy and seizures.
“Is there a bigger hypocritical scumbag in the league than Jacob Trouba? First of all, he sucks at hockey,” Eshghi began. “Whenever he is in the defensive zone, he runs around like a lost puppy. He just sees the puck and he chases it. If he didn’t have that ‘C’ and that contract, he wouldn’t be playing.”
While on-ice performance is generally fair game in sports media, Eshghi went further, delving into Trouba’s personal life.
Hollywood mourned many celebrities in 2024. Speed Racer star Christian Oliver (born Christian Klepser) died at the age of 51 during a fatal plane crash on January 5. Oliver was traveling home from a Caribbean vacation with his two daughters — Madita and Annik, whom he shared with wife Jessica Klepser — on January 4. […]
“Trouba and his wife founded the Trouba Creative Expression Arts Program, which offers art services to adults with epilepsy and seizures,” Eshghi said. “Well, you want to know the irony of the situation? Trouba’s wife is a neuroscience major. Maybe Jacob should go home and get a lesson from his wife about the dangers of concussions that can lead to epilepsy and seizures before he goes around concussing guys on a daily basis being the dirtiest player in the league. It’s like, OK, you want to embrace the scumbag role? Fine, but the fact that they are parading him around as some sort of humanitarian is a joke. His agent or PR person should get a major raise for that.”
Jacob Trouba Sam Hodde/Getty Images
Trouba responded on Wednesday, June 5, quoting Eshghi’s original post and pointing to Murray as an example of why “we must do better.”
“Suicide rates have doubled in the past 20 years in U.S. college athletes,” he wrote. “11 days ago, a PGA Tour golfer tragically took his own life after a mental health battle and people asked how that was possible. We must do better than this.”
Late pro golfer Grayson Murray and fiancée Christiana Ritchie’s romance blossomed over their shared passion for faith. “I grew up going to church and my family [are] strong Christians. I think I neglected that part of my life for a while, and meeting my fiancée and how our lives kind of changed over the last […]
Murray, who withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge shortly before his death, was open about his struggles with depression.
“Everyone is battling their own battle every day. Some hide it well and some don’t. The first step to finding help is admitting you need it,” Murray wrote in a July 2017 social media post. “Luckily I admitted I needed help for depression and anxiety a few years ago and it saved my life. It’s something I battle every day. It doesn’t go away, it will never go away but there are ways to control it.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
