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Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews exited Thursday night time’s win over the Anaheim Geese after a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas, and he will not return within the 2025-26 season. On Friday night time, the Maple Leafs introduced that Matthews suffered a season-ending MCL tear and quad contusion.
Within the second interval, not lengthy after Matthews scored an influence play objective to chop the Geese’ result in 3-2, the Toronto captain put a transfer on Gudas in entrance of the Anaheim internet. Unable to put a very good hit on Matthews, Gudas prolonged his leg into Matthews’ left knee.
Matthews instantly went down in agony, holding his injured knee. He ultimately needed to be helped off the ice and down the tunnel.
Gudas obtained a significant penalty for kneeing and a sport misconduct. The NHL Division of Participant Security introduced a five-game suspension for Gudas on Friday night time following his listening to by way of convention name.
As a result of Gudas solely obtained a convention name listening to — versus an in-person listening to — a five-game suspension was the utmost penalty he might obtain. In a assertion to ESPN, Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, blasted the ruling and went scorched Earth on the Division of Participant Security.
“In gentle of the plain severity of the play, I’m very disenchanted and shocked that the league would permit for such a ruling,” Moldaver stated. “A telephone listening to and 5 video games is simply laughable and preposterous. Whereas the listening to course of is pre-fixed in our CBA, that there was no additional self-discipline is a reckless and ridiculous place for participant security. This choice leads to an additional lack of confidence within the disciplinary course of for all gamers. Gamers and followers deserve higher. The participant security division needs to be suspended.”
Toronto got here again to win the sport, 6-4, however the lack of Matthews is a devastating last blow that can probably finish a irritating season for the Maple Leafs. Matthews leads the crew in objectives with 27, and he is fourth on the crew in factors with 53. The highest heavy nature of the crew’s lineup means all the celebs should be wholesome and firing on all cylinders for every little thing to click on, and that will not be the case the remainder of the way in which.
If the Leafs’ playoff hopes have not already been extinguished, shedding Matthews for the remainder of the season will probably do the trick.
Maple Leafs’ deal with lack of response to “soiled” hit
When the hit first occurred, and Matthews was laying on the ice, none of his Maple Leafs teammates confronted Gudas in any approach. Toronto has been flat for many of the 2025-26 season, nevertheless it was nonetheless stunning to not see anybody rush to Matthews’ protection.
Of their postgame press conferences, assistant captains John Tavares and Morgan Rielly described the hit as “soiled” and stated the crew ought to have finished extra to defend Matthews initially. Rielly shouldered the blame for the dearth of a response.
“I did not have a very good view of it simply because the puck was going the opposite approach, nevertheless it’s on me for not responding earlier to Gudas,” Rielly stated. “It is a soiled hit. I did not perceive how unhealthy he bought him within the second. I take full duty for not being the primary one in there or the primary one to reply. … Finally, when your captain goes down like that on a unclean play, it’s important to reply as a gaggle. I additionally take duty for not being the primary one in there on the hit.”
There was a extra bodily response within the third interval, when Easton Cowan fought Geese defenseman Jackson LaCombe, and the groups racked up a mixed 48 penalty minutes. Toronto coach Craig Berube appreciated that effort, however he admitted the opposite 4 gamers on the ice on the time of Matthews’ harm ought to have taken motion.
“We must always’ve had 4 guys in there doing one thing about it,” Berube stated. “It did not occur then, however I believed we responded within the third. It was a very good response there, however we would wish to see everyone get in straight away.”
Usually, it could be unfair to evaluate a crew primarily based on a 15-second stint following an unsightly hit on its captain. Nevertheless, Toronto has failed to satisfy the second on quite a few events this season, which is why it is eight factors out of a playoff spot with 19 video games remaining. The dearth of a right away response wasn’t precisely out of character for the 2025-26 Maple Leafs.
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