Breaking: Radko Gudas Hit With 5th Career Suspension for Ugly Kneeing Incident on Auston Matthews

Friday, March 13, 2026 ,

 

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas

Auston Matthews' agent calls it "laughable and preposterous". NHL Player Safety has suspended Radko Gudas for five games for his brutal, deliberate knee-on-knee hit that ended Matthews' season last night.

Gudas was given a game misconduct and a five-minute major for kneeing after this vicious, intentional attempt to injure. The NHL has now added the five-game ban.

To extrapolate further on Matthews' agent Judd Moldaver's disgust over the ruling, here's more of what he had to say.

“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous. "While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous. "This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players.

"Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended.” 

This is Gudas's fifth suspension by the NHL, his previous four were as follows:

  1. Three-game ban for a headshot in 2015 on Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad
  2. Six-game punishment for an illegal hit/interference in 2016 on Austin Czarnik of the Boston Bruins
  3. Ten-game suspension for a high-sticking/slashing incident in 2017 for a slash to Mathieu Perreault’s neck
  4. Two-game ban in 2019 for high-sticking Nikita Kucherov


Add today's five-game punishment to the total, and the reckless, careless Gudas has a total of 26 games' worth of suspensions in his career. The 35-year-old has 1,102 penalty minutes in 881 games across 14 seasons. He's also handed out 3,214 hits.


Matthews had an MRI on Friday, which revealed that he has a Grade 3 MCL tear in his knee. He finishes with 53 points in 60 games this season. 


Photo: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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