Overview
- Auston Matthews is out for the rest of 2025–26 with a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion from a knee-on-knee by Ducks captain Radko Gudas.
- The NHL issued Gudas a five-game suspension, his first since 2019 and the fifth of his career.
- Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver blasted the decision as insufficient, while Connor McDavid called for a review of the player-safety process.
- Historical data cited by the NHLPA show kneeing suspensions are typically shorter, with only one exceeding five games in the past 15 years.
- Team insiders say the episode will influence Toronto’s offseason planning and Matthews’ outlook, with discipline procedures expected to be a talking point at this week’s GM meetings.