Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas was issued a five-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews. Outrage came from Toronto Maple Leafs fans and NHL players like Connor McDavid, saying the suspension was not enough. Head of the NHL's Department of Player Safety, George Parros, defended the decision on Tuesday.
“We came to it for good reason,” Parros told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. “When we evaluate these plays, we look at the play and not the players. If we determine that play was worthy of supplemental discipline, we then look at history of the players involved and if there is an injury or not. This is how we come to make all of our decisions. We did this and made this decision under those circumstances, felt that this was the appropriate response, and so I stand by it.”
Gudas was given a virtual hearing, which caps the suspension at five games. It also eliminates the ability for the player to appeal the ban through a neutral arbitrator. Parros said those facts had nothing to do with the decision.
“Whether or not there's an appeal, I can't really worry about that. I have to make what I think is the right decision, the decision that I can defend and the decision I can sleep with at night.”
Despite the outrage over the suspension, nothing has changed regarding Gudas' ban. The Ducks finished their East Coast road trip with a loss to the Ottawa Senators and a win over the Montreal Canadiens. Gudas missed both of those games and will miss the next three. The captain will be eligible to return on March 24th on the road against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Ducks and Maple Leafs do face off again on March 30 in Anaheim. The entire Leafs team was lambasted for not defending their captain, so it could get rowdy in two weeks.
