The NHL giving Radko Gudas five games is the bare minimum to protect Auston Matthews

Although it wasn't as long as it should be, the NHL suspended Radko Gudas for his dirty knee-on-knee hit to Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews on Thursday night.

It was the maximum that he could receive due to the fact that the NHL Player Safety Department ended up only giving him a phone hearing as opposed to an in-person one which would end up coming with a longer punishment.

The news comes from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski on X:

Matthews' agent Judd Moldaver also chimed in with his thoughts on the situation:

When an agent feels the need to say the Player Safety Department needs to be suspended, you've hit a real nerve.

Matthews was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season after MRI results confirmed a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion.

Gudas is no stranger to getting suspended, as this would mark a fifth for the veteran blueliner in his career, and third highest total after his 10-game suspension in 2017 and six game suspension in 2016.

But it's a paltry sentence given the circumstances. This is a guy with a lot of prior history, just injured Sidney Crosby during the Olympics, and just took another franchise player out.

This is beyond absurd at this point, and while the league finally did something it feels a lot more like lip service than an actual punishment. Matthews was targeted for no good reason, it's not like he was about to hit goal 70 or something.

It was a meaningless game for Toronto, but that doesn't mean the follow-up should be just as inconsequential.

Matthews finishes his season with 53 points in 60 games (27 goals, 26 assists) where he put up his lowest goal total of his career, though did manage to secure a gold medal with Team USA during the aforementioned Olympic Games.

Now the focus turns to the Maple Leafs and their quest to finish in the bottom-five, and without their captain may have an easier time doing so.

Just make sure to circle your calendar for March 30th when the Maple Leafs head to Anaheim for the rematch.

Fireworks are bound to go off, and there may be more punishments coming from the NHL after that one is said and done.

Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Radko Gudas granted phone hearing: Why NHL rules limit suspension to 5 games for Matthews hit