Ducks defenceman Gudas given five-game suspension for knee-on-knee hit on Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the team’s captain Auston Matthews will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a Grade 3 MCL tear.

Anaheim defenceman Radko Gudas was given a five-game suspension by the NHL on Friday for kneeing and injuring Toronto’s Auston Matthews.

Gudas had a hearing with the league’s department of player safety for his hit that injured the Maple Leafs captain in a game on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena.

The five-game ban was the maximum that could be levied because his hearing was by phone.

The knee-on-knee hit occurred at 15:47 of the second period of the Ducks’ 6-4 loss. Gudas received a major penalty and game misconduct on the play, which resulted in Matthews exiting the game with a left leg injury. 

The Maple Leafs confirmed Friday that Matthews would miss the rest of the season with a Grade 3 tear of his medial collateral ligament. He also suffered a bruised quadriceps muscle.

Gudas will forfeit US$104,166.65 in salary. The money goes to the players’ emergency assistance fund.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2026.