Jacob Trouba back in Jets jersey after weeks asking for trade

Jacob Trouba was back in a Jets' practice jersey Tuesday morning after months spent off the ice waiting for a trade.

The big-framed defenceman inked a two-year, $6-million deal with Winnipeg on Monday, more than six weeks after announcing he wanted a trade out of Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, he said he would understand if fans were upset with him.

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"I understand if they're frustrated, but there's another side to the NHL, which isn't hockey, it's the business side, which quite frankly I'm not familiar with too well. No one really enjoys it or likes it, but that's just the nature of this game," Trouba said.

Trouba was one of the last players off the ice after the Jets pregame skate Tuesday. He told the throng of reporters circling around his stall afterward that he ended the stalemate because he wants to play hockey.

"I'm extremely happy to be back in a locker room and to be playing, that's what I love to do, that's what every player dreams of is playing in the NHL and I have the opportunity to do that," said Trouba.

Jets coach Paul Maurice cautioned on believing the story lines that Trouba in fact wanted a trade out of Winnipeg and hinted that it could have been a negotiation tactic.

"Again, the filter of negotiation, if that was directly true, than he wouldn't be here today. He's in our locker room. He's a Winnipeg Jet. He signed up for it, and we're going to pay him," said Maurice.

Although Trouba had played some games on the top defence pairing with Dustin Byfuglien last season, he often found himself bumped down the team's depth chart, behind right-handed defencemen Byfuglien and Tyler Myers. Trouba and his agent had cited ice time and playing on the right side as the main reasons for wanting out of town.

Trouba comes back to the club less than two weeks after another big name young defenceman resigned. The Anaheim Ducks signed Hampus Lindholm to a six-year, $31.5-million contract on Oct. 27.

Trouba said that his shorter term contract for less money makes sense right now for personal reasons and that he's committed to playing the next two seasons with the Jets.

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"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but it's money that's not really going to make or break my life," Trouba said. 

"I feel good about taking a stand. I don't regret doing what I did. I felt like that was the best thing to do at the time and like I said, now that I've signed that piece of paper, all that's gone for me and I'll focus on this team."

The Jets take on the Dallas Stars Tuesday night in Winnipeg.

Trouba, the Jets' ninth overall draft pick in 2012, will have to do some fitness testing with the club before they determine when he will make his season debut.