Leafs Call for Harsher Punishment of Gudas for Hit on Matthews

Toronto players and coach criticize 5-game suspension for Ducks defenseman's hit that ended Auston Matthews' season

Mar. 14, 2026 at 8:57pm

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are unhappy with the NHL's 5-game suspension of Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas for a hit that ended star captain Auston Matthews' season. Leafs players and coach Craig Berube believe the punishment should have been harsher given Gudas' history of suspensions and the severity of Matthews' injury, a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion that will sideline him for the rest of the year.

Why it matters

The debate over the NHL's player safety discipline process has been reignited, with questions about whether the league does enough to protect its star players from dangerous hits, especially from repeat offenders like Gudas. The Matthews injury has sparked league-wide discussion about the need for stronger punishments to deter these types of hits.

The details

In the second period of the Leafs' win over the Ducks on March 13, Gudas delivered a forceful, knee-on-knee hit on Matthews that forced the Leafs captain to be helped off the ice. The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Gudas for 5 games, but Leafs players and coach Berube felt the punishment should have been longer given Gudas' history - he has been suspended 4 times for a total of 21 games in his 14-year NHL career, with his last suspension coming in 2019 for a high stick.

  • The incident occurred during the Leafs' game against the Ducks on March 13, 2026.
  • The NHL suspended Gudas for 5 games on March 14, 2026.
  • The Leafs announced on March 14 that Matthews will miss the rest of the season due to a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion.

The players

Auston Matthews

The 28-year-old star captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who suffered a season-ending injury from the hit by Radko Gudas.

Radko Gudas

The Anaheim Ducks defenseman who delivered the hit on Auston Matthews, a repeat offender who has been suspended 4 times for a total of 21 games in his 14-year NHL career.

Matthew Knies

A Toronto Maple Leafs forward and linemate of Auston Matthews this season.

John Tavares

A veteran center for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Craig Berube

The head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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What they’re saying

“I think the league could've done a little bit more, seeing as our best player [ and ] our captain [ is ] not going to be with us for the rest of the year. That's a big loss.”

— Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs forward (abc7.com)

“I believe Auston's been ruled out for quite a while, right? So it's going to [ miss ] more than five games, so it easily could've been longer. Can't say five games is nothing but it could have been longer.”

— John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs veteran center (abc7.com)

“Looking at it, we lose our guy, our captain for the year. It doesn't seem like enough for me. You lose your star player for the year. The guy doing it is a repeat offender. It just doesn't seem like enough.”

— Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach (abc7.com)

What’s next

The NHL Department of Player Safety will likely face continued scrutiny and calls for harsher punishments to protect star players from dangerous hits, especially from repeat offenders.

The takeaway

This incident has reignited the debate over the NHL's player safety discipline process and whether the league does enough to protect its top stars from potentially career-altering injuries caused by reckless plays. The Leafs' strong reaction highlights the need for the NHL to take a harder stance on repeat offenders to deter these types of dangerous hits.