{"id":504960,"date":"2026-03-15T17:53:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T17:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/504960\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T17:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T17:53:57","slug":"craig-berube-on-radko-gudas-suspension-doesnt-seem-like-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/504960\/","title":{"rendered":"Craig Berube on Radko Gudas suspension: \u2018Doesn\u2019t seem like enough\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> feel that Radko Gudas<\/a>\u2019 five-game suspension for his knee-on-knee hit that ended Auston Matthews<\/a>\u2019 season wasn\u2019t severe enough.<\/p>\n

NHL Player Safety announced the ban Friday night<\/a>, shortly after the Maple Leafs said their captain would miss the remainder of the season with a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion suffered on Gudas\u2019 hit in Thursday\u2019s 6-4 win.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at it, we lose our guy, our captain for the year, I don\u2019t know, it doesn\u2019t seem like enough for me \u2026 guy doing it is a repeat offender, it just doesn\u2019t seem like enough,” head coach Craig Berube<\/a> said via TSN\u2019s Mark Masters.<\/p>\n

Craig Berube on Radko Gudas getting five games for the knee on Auston Matthews: <\/p>\n

“Looking at it, we lose our guy, our captain for the year, I don\u2019t know, it doesn\u2019t seem like enough for me \u2026 guy doing it is a repeat offender, it just doesn\u2019t seem like enough”@TSN_Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

John Tavares<\/a> agreed, saying the penalty \u201ccould\u2019ve been longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe Auston\u2019s been ruled out for quite a while, right, so it\u2019s going to be more than five games what he\u2019s missing, so it easily could\u2019ve been longer. Can\u2019t say five games is nothing but, yeah, easily could have seen it been longer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tavares on Gudas suspension:<\/p>\n

“I believe Auston\u2019s been ruled out for quite a while, right, so it\u2019s going to be more than five games what he\u2019s missing, so it easily could\u2019ve been longer. Can\u2019t say five games is nothing but, yeah, easily could have seen it been longer”@TSN_Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Forward Matthew Knies<\/a> took a similar tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the league could\u2019ve done a little bit more seeing as our best player, our captain [is] not going to be with us for the rest of the year. That\u2019s a big loss … I would\u2019ve loved to see a little bit more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see a player go down like that and be in as much pain as he was getting off the ice and a guy like that [Gudas] who is a repeat offender of occasions like that, you know, I don\u2019t think it was enough is all I\u2019ll say about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knies on Gudas getting five games for knee on Matthews:<\/p>\n

“I think the league could\u2019ve done a little bit more seeing as our best player, our captain [is] not going to be with us for the rest of the year. That\u2019s a big loss … I would\u2019ve loved to see a little bit more”@TSN_Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The incident occurred with just over four minutes remaining in the second period of Thursday\u2019s matchup when Gudas attempted to hit Matthews and made contact with his left knee.<\/p>\n

Matthews remained on the ice for a long period of time before exiting the ice and going into the dressing room without putting any weight on his left leg. Berube initially called the hit a \u201cdirty play,\u201d while Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville<\/a> said there was no intent on Gudas\u2019 part.<\/p>\n

The Ducks captain was handed a five-minute major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct on the play. He will forfeit $104,166.65 in salary during the suspension.<\/p>\n

Matthews\u2019 agent, Judd Moldaver, said in a statement released Friday night that the league\u2019s ruling was \u201claughable and preposterous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn light of the obvious severity of the play, I am very disappointed and shocked that the league would allow for such a ruling,\u201d said Moldaver. \u201cA phone hearing and five games is just laughable and preposterous. While the process is pre-fixed in our CBA, that there was no further discipline is a reckless and ridiculous position for player safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe player safety department should be suspended.\u201d<\/p>\n