After injuring Auston Matthews, Radko Gudas will play in rematch against Leafs despite not being 100% healthy: ‘I want to address it myself’
The Anaheim Ducks have surged into first place in the Pacific Division after going 5–1–1 in their last seven games. Trade deadline acquisition John Carlson was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week on Monday after posting seven assists in his last three games.
Everything is going swimmingly for a Ducks team poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018 — except for the hurricane awaiting them tonight at Honda Center, and I don’t mean Carolina.
The Ducks will play the Leafs for the first time since team captain Radko Gudas ended Auston Matthews’ season early due to a knee-on-knee hit — similar to the one he injured Sidney Crosby with at the Olympics. Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion, and the Leafs earned scorn from head coach Craig Berube for not immediately going after Gudas for the “dirty play.”
“We should’ve had four guys in there doing something about it,” Berube said then. “It didn’t happen then, but I thought they responded in the third. It was a good response there. We all would’ve liked everyone to get in there right away.”
Gudas, who was suspended five games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (which Matthews’ agent called a “laughable” amount), confirmed that he will play in tonight’s rematch despite not being 100 percent healthy and missing Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The rugged Ducks defenseman injured his left leg and had recently been in a walking boot due to a hit-gone-wrong against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Radko Gudas is not taking warmup in Edmonton and won’t play against the Oilers.
Here is video of the injury he suffered Thursday in Calgary. He was seen in a walking boot today.
The Ducks’ next game is Monday at home against Toronto, and there is an intense spotlight on this… pic.twitter.com/7NG8XHZGOU
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 28, 2026
“(I’m) good (enough) to play,” Gudas said after the morning skate on Monday. “I think it’s going to be intense game, one of the reasons why I wanted to play, you know, address things.”
When asked if he didn’t want his teammates to endure the retribution that he has coming, Gudas replied, “Exactly. Stand behind my own mistakes. I want to address it myself.”
Gudas opting to dress earned praise from Berube, a former enforcer himself in the NHL with the Capitals.
“Well, he knows,” Berube said. “And he’s got character. We know that.”
As for when fists may begin flying, Gudas seemed ready to drop the gloves as soon as the opening faceoff.
“I know they’re going to be coming,” he said. “When it’s addressed early in the game, everybody can… I don’t want to say ‘relax a little bit,’ but everybody knows that the thing is going to be addressed. So, I would assume something like that’s going to happen.
“Everyone’s going to be ready to battle.”
Puck drop for the game is at 10 pm ET.
