Gudas faces hearing after knee-on-knee hit on Matthews

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas will have a hearing Friday for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews during Thursday's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.

Gudas was assessed a five-minute major and ejected for the play, which was upheld after review.

Matthews stayed down on the ice after the hit and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old had snapped a 12-game goal drought minutes earlier.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube called the hit a "dirty play," per TSN's Mark Masters, and noted that Matthews will undergo further evaluation Friday. Berube was also irked by his club's lack of response to the play.

"We should have had four guys in there doing something about it," Berube said, according to SDPN's Jesse Blake. "I thought they responded in the third. ... But we all would have liked everyone to get in there right away."

Veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly took ownership for the Leafs not sticking up for their captain.

"It's on me for not responding earlier to Gudas. ... It's a dirty hit." Rielly said, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel. "I didn't understand how bad he got him in the moment. But I take full responsibility for not being the first one in there."

Gudas has built a reputation for his physical play throughout a 14-year NHL career. He's registered 100-plus hits in all but one season and has been suspended four times. His most recent ban came in 2019.

The Maple Leafs scored twice on the power play from Gudas' hit and ultimately won 6-4, snapping an eight-game losing streak.