Auston Matthews may be out for the season, but there’s some baggage that comes with being the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. News always follows you around.
While Matthews is out for the season, the most recent discussion centers on the team’s locker room culture following the captain’s injury, and former teammate Scott Laughton is pushing back against some of the criticism directed Toronto’s way.
Scott Laughton Backs Maple Leafs Culture
The debate stems from a knee-on-knee collision between Matthews and Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas on March 12. Matthews tried to sidestep Gudas in the slot after a turnover, but the Ducks captain reached in, and the two collided. Matthews immediately dropped to the ice in visible pain.
What fueled the narrative wasn’t just the injury, but the lack of an immediate response. Teammates, including Brandon Carlo, William Nylander, Easton Cowan, and Morgan Rielly, were on the ice, yet none confronted Gudas while Matthews remained down.
Matthews later underwent surgery for a Grade 3 MCL injury and is expected to return next season.
Laughton, now with the Los Angeles Kings after being moved at the trade deadline, addressed the situation after facing Toronto in a wild 7-6 overtime game. He acknowledged that the hit was significant but emphasized that the Maple Leafs’ room still cares deeply about each other and the team.
“Obviously, something big like that happens, it’s a change for the group. Even what happened with Matthews and Gudas, I think the way they’re playing now and the way they played against us, like a little scrum, everyone’s in it,” Laughton noted.
“Obviously, you don’t want it to get to that point where Matthews is out for the year, but I know that group cares. There’s a ton of guys in the room that really care about the team and want them to do well. Sometimes it doesn’t just go your way.
“I got a ton of respect for a lot of guys in that room, the way they handle themselves, take care of themselves, and care for the Maple Leafs,” he added.
Players themselves acknowledged the initial reaction may have been too passive. In the games that followed, Toronto showed more willingness to stand up for teammates.
When the Leafs faced Anaheim again three weeks later, Max Domi set the tone immediately, dropping the gloves with Gudas on the opening shift. Domi fought twice that night, drawing praise from teammates, including Matthew Knies, who said it was “fun to watch” the team finally show some pushback.
