Ducks’ Gudas suspended five games for knee-on-knee hit on Maple Leafs’ Matthews

Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas has been suspended five games for his knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Friday.

Gudas will forfeit $104,166.65 in salary during the suspension.

The incident occurred with just over four minutes remaining in the second period of the Maple Leafs’ 6-4 win over the Ducks on Thursday when Gudas attempted to hit Matthews and made contact with his left knee.

Matthews remained on the ice for a long period of time before exiting the ice and going into the dressing room without putting any weight on his left leg.

Gudas was handed a five-minute major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct for the play.

Matthews recorded a goal on 13:18 of ice time before departing the game with the injury. He was ruled out for the rest of the 2025-26 season earlier on Friday with a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion.

Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver said in a statement Friday night that the ruling was “laughable and preposterous.”

“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am very disappointed and shocked that the league would allow for such a ruling,” said Moldaver. “A phone hearing and five games is just laughable and preposterous. While the process is pre-fixed in our CBA, that there was no further discipline is a reckless and ridiculous position for player safety.

“This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better.

“The player safety department should be suspended.”

After the game, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube called the hit a “dirty play” while forward Matthew Knies pointed out that he’s been involved in hits that resulted in injuries before.

“There’s no premeditation,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “Reflexes did it.”

Gudas, 35, has been suspended four times in his 14-year career for a total of 21 games. His longest suspension was a 10-game ban for slashing Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017.

The 6-foot, right-shot defenceman has two goals, 13 points, and 45 penalty minutes in 52 games this season while averaging 16:39 of ice time.

Gudas was responsible for the hit that knocked Canada captain Sidney Crosby out of Milano Cortina 2026 last month in the quarter-final, although he was not penalized on that play.

Anaheim leads the Pacific Division with a 36-26-3 record entering Friday’s action and are one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights and three points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers.