The Anaheim Ducks were on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night. During the second period of the Anaheim and Toronto matchup, Radko Gudas had a five-minute penalty for kneeing Auston Matthews, and he was also given a game misconduct.
Matthews had to be helped off the ice after he was injured on the play. There is no doubt that was a dirty hit on Gudas. This is not the first time in his career that he has injured someone. During the Olympics for Team Czech Republic, he also injured Sidney Crosby for Team Canada and Crosby has not played for the Pittsburgh Penguins since then.
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With that being said, Gudas is more than likely going to face a significant suspension from the NHL. He has had a history of dirty hits in the past. Toronto players and coaches commented about his after the game and so did Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville.
Anaheim Ducks Joel Quenneville Comments on Radko Gudas Hit
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) looks at injured Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) after delivering a knee on knee hit.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
(John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
Ducks head coach Quenneville spoke to the media after the game. He said about the Gudas hit, “It was a tough penalty. It was a penalty. I’m not complaining about the call. There was no premeditation. It was just reflexes (that) did it. I’ll leave it up to them (the NHL’s Department of Player Safety). I don’t know. But I know it’s just one of those split-second moves. We’ll see.”
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It remains to be seen how long Anaheim will be without Gudas for. They will next play on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators on the road and then Sunday on the road against the Montreal Canadiens. There is a good chance that he could be suspended for both of those games and possibly miss more games depending on how long the league will decide to suspend him for.
The NHL needs to get this right. There is a chance that Matthews could be out for a lengthy period of time after being helped off the ice after the Gudas hit. Quenneville made the right comments in this situation about the dirty hit. If the league doesn’t suspend him for a lengthy period of time, then it is a bad look.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.