NHL's Players Safety Chief Addresses Backlash Over Auston Matthews Incident

Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas entered the spotlight last week after his knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.

A little over 24 hours after the hit, the NHL‘s Department of Player Safety handed Gudas a five-game suspension following a phone hearing, the maximum allowed under that format.

Shortly after, on Saturday morning, the Maple Leafs announced that Matthews had suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and would miss the remainder of the season.

The decision to suspend Gudas for just five games quickly drew criticism from players, coaches, general managers and agents around the NHL.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) looks at injured Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews after delivering a knee-on-knee hit on March 12.John E&period; Sokolowski-Imagn Images

(John E&period; Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

George Parros, head of the Department of Player Safety, addressed the backlash at the NHL’s general manager meetings on Tuesday morning.

“I feel confident in this decision,” Parros said. “We came to it for good reason. When we evaluate these plays, we look at the play, not the players. And then we look at — if we determine that play was worthy of supplemental discipline — we then look at the history of the players involved and if there’s an injury or not. This is how we come to make all of our decisions. We did this and made this decision under those circumstances, felt that this was the appropriate response, and so I stand by it.”

Parros confirmed the department was aware of an injury when determining the length of Gudas’ suspension.

“The assumption was that there was an injury on this play,” Parros said. “Having that information and feeling that way about this, knowing that there’s likely an injury, I still decided to have just a phone hearing for that. It wasn’t like I decided to have a phone hearing, found out there was an injury, and then wished I had an in-person instead.”

Oilers captain Connor McDavid was the highest-profile player to speak on the decision, suggesting the process may need review. Parros, however, defended it.

“We have a process in place that we feel confident in,” Parros said. “We’ve been doing it for a long time. We sweat over these decisions and pore over these decisions every night, all season long. We have a process in place that’s consistent.”

Gudas will be eligible to return to the Ducks’ lineup on March 24, while Matthews will finish his 10th NHL season on the shelf with 53 points in 60 games.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

NHL’s Players Safety Chief Addresses Backlash Over Auston Matthews Incident

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