Auston Matthews' agent blasting the Radko Gudas suspension proves NHL Player Safety has a credibility crisis
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 14, 2026 (8:58)
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Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
NHL Player Safety gave Radko Gudas five games for the hit on Auston Matthews, and the ruling instantly turned into a league-wide credibility problem.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman relayed Judd Moldaver's response, and Auston Matthews' agent did not hedge, calling the five-game result "laughable and preposterous" after a phone hearing.
That matters because Matthews is not some fringe scorer Toronto can patch over for a night.
He had 27-26-53 in 60 games before the injury, and Toronto's whole attack still bends around his release, his bumper touch, and the panic he creates off the half wall.
The league also confirmed Gudas got five games, which is the exact ceiling tied to a phone hearing under Player Safety rules.
That is why agents and business-side voices are unloading now, not later. The complaint is not just that the hit was ugly, it is that the process feels detached from the damage.
"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."
- Judd Moldaver
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."
- Judd Moldaver
Toronto beat Anaheim on Thursday, but the win felt secondary once Matthews left and the league's punishment landed soft for a play with season-shifting fallout.
Auston Matthews fallout puts NHL on trial
Leafs fans are not debating gray area here, they are debating whether the league actually understands what its own discipline is supposed to protect.
This is where the NHL is getting blasted. A system that talks tough but keeps landing on inconsistent numbers invites every star player, agent, and fan base to assume precedent means nothing.
For the next game, Craig Berube has to replace Matthews' first-unit man advantage touch and his clean-zone entry support.
That is the hockey cost. The bigger cost is that Player Safety just made itself the story again, and the noise around this one is not fading by Saturday.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 14|301 ANSWERS Auston Matthews' agent blasting the Radko Gudas suspension proves NHL Player Safety has a credibility crisis Did Judd Moldaver have every right to blast NHL Player Safety over the Auston Matthews and Radko Gudas situation? | ||
| Yes | 283 | 94 % |
| No | 18 | 6 % |
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