Matthews Out For Season After Gudas Hit; John Tavares Says Suspension ‘Could’ve Been Longer’
Auston Matthews will miss the remainder of the regular season after suffering a grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas, and John Tavares said the five-game suspension handed to Gudas “easily could’ve been longer. ” Matthews will be reevaluated in two weeks, with the team providing another update at that time.
John Tavares And Locker-Room Reaction
John Tavares, who has spoken with Matthews since the injury, voiced frustration that the punishment did not match the loss the team sustained. “Auston’s been ruled out for quite a while, right? So it’s going to be more than five games is what he’s missing, so it easily could’ve been longer, ” Tavares said. He added that he feels for Matthews and wants him to get healthy as soon as possible.
Coach Craig Berube called the suspension insufficient, saying, “It just doesn’t seem like enough, ” and emphasized the impact of losing the team’s leader for the season. Other players expressed similar dismay: Matthew Knies said the league “could have done a little bit more, ” and Jake McCabe described the decision as “frustrating. ”
Inside the game, teammates acknowledged an earlier breakdown in response on the ice. Morgan Rielly took responsibility for not responding immediately after the hit, calling it a “dirty hit” and saying he should have been quicker to react. Berube said the team discussed the moment at intermission and that players tried to respond physically in the third period of the game.
Discipline, Incident Details And Next Steps
The collision occurred at 15: 47 of the second period during a game in which Matthews had just scored a power-play goal. Matthews crumpled after trying to sidestep the hit and was helped off the ice by a trainer and teammate Brandon Carlo, putting minimal weight on his left leg. Gudas was assessed a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct on the play.
The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Radko Gudas for five games. Gudas has been suspended multiple times in his career; his total career suspensions now add up to 26 games, resulting in more than $855, 000 in salary forfeited over time. Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said he did not think the hit was intentional, calling it a “reflex action. ”
Agent Judd Moldaver issued a strongly worded statement criticizing the length of the suspension and calling the ruling “reckless and ridiculous, ” saying the decision undermines confidence in the disciplinary process and that players and fans deserve better. The team will travel to Buffalo for their next game, scheduled for 7: 00 pm ET on Saturday, where they will be without Matthews. Barring injury or additional discipline, Gudas is expected to be available for his team’s upcoming games, including a matchup when the Maple Leafs visit Anaheim.
Matthews will be reevaluated in two weeks, and the club said it will provide an update then, leaving the timeline for recovery and any further ramifications to be clarified at that time.
