Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas has been suspended for five games by the NHL for a knee-on-knee hit against Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, the league announced Friday.
Gudas will forfeit $104,166 in salary during the suspension, which will be directed to the NHL’s players’ emergency assistance fund, according to league rules.
The incident occurred during a game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Ducks captain was ejected from the game in the 36th minute following the hit and immediately headed to the locker room. Matthews also did not return to the game after sustaining the injury.
VIDEO: Faul Gudasa na Matthewsa
The situation proved serious, with Toronto later reporting that Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion. He will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
The American center will undergo further medical evaluation in approximately two weeks, after which the club will provide an update on his condition.
Matthews had scored 27 goals this season and was a key member of the American team that won a gold medal at the Olympic tournament in Milan in February.
The 35-year-aged Gudas will start serving his suspension in a game against Ottawa and will also miss contests against Montreal, Philadelphia, Utah, and Buffalo. He is eligible to return to the ice on March 24 when the Ducks play in Vancouver.
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Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will miss the rest of the season after suffering a significant knee injury in a collision with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas on Thursday night. The NHL announced Friday that Gudas has been suspended for five games for the hit.
The incident occurred during the second period of the game between the Ducks and the Maple Leafs. Gudas was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct penalty for the knee-on-knee contact, and was subsequently suspended by the league. The maximum penalty allowed under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement is five games.
Following the game, the Maple Leafs announced that Matthews sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, but the team confirmed he will not play again this season. The injury is a major blow to Toronto’s playoff hopes, as Matthews is one of the team’s leading scorers with 27 goals.
Gudas will begin serving his suspension in the Ducks’ next game against the Ottawa Senators. He will also miss games against the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Utah, and Buffalo Sabres, and is eligible to return on March 24 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, expressed his disappointment with the length of the suspension, calling it “laughable and preposterous” in a statement to ESPN. He argued that Gudas should have been given an in-person hearing, which could have resulted in a longer ban. The loss of Matthews is a significant setback for the Maple Leafs as they push for a playoff berth.
