Jacob Trouba feels bad.

The New York Rangers captain showed remorse for the stick-swinging incident on Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic on Saturday that earned him a $5,000 fine. He lambasted his own actions as "dirty."

"The play obviously can’t happen," Trouba said, according to lohud.com's Vincent Z. Mercogliano. "It was 100% accidental. At the time, I was shocked it happened. I immediately said, 'I apologize. I didn't have any intention of doing that.' I felt like my hand was pushed and I was kind of off balance, so I apologized right away. That was kind of the end of it then. Then after the game, I saw a video of it, and it doesn't look good. It's not an excusable thing."

The defenseman added, "I have to control my posture and my stick better than that. I'm glad he wasn't injured. I deserve the fine. Take it and move on. Learn from the experience and don't let it happen again. That's not the player I want to be."

Trouba caught Frederic in the head with his stick early in the second period of the Rangers' 7-4 victory over the Bruins. He wasn't penalized on the play and avoided a suspension.

A physical player, Trouba's antics have long drawn the ire of opposing teams' fanbases. But Saturday's incident won't cause the veteran to change his ways.

"The hitting and stuff, that’s just how I play the game," he said. "I don't think those are dirty. I don't mind what people think of me. I don't put too much thought into what people think of me that don't really know me, to be honest with you. It is what it is."

Trouba was suspended two games in 2017 for an illegal check to the head of then-Ottawa Senators forward Mark Stone. The 29-year-old was previously fined $5,000 for slashing in 2020.

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