Auston Matthews’ injury against the Anaheim Ducks has become a major talking point around the NHL. The play that caused the season-ending injury has led to debate about player safety. It also brought questions about how the Toronto Maple Leafs players reacted in the moment.
Days later, two prominent NHL players addressed the situation and shared their views on what should happen when a team’s star gets hurt.
Tkachuk Brothers Weigh In on Leafs’ Response to Matthews Injury Play
The incident happened on Thursday during the Maple Leafs’ 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Auston Matthews attempted to move around Radko Gudas in Anaheim’s zone when the Ducks defenseman extended his leg, leading to a knee-on-knee collision.
Toronto later confirmed Matthews suffered a Grade 3 tear of the medial collateral ligament and a quad contusion in his left leg. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of the 2025–26 season, even before he gets re-evaluated in late March to determine if surgery is required.
While he will not return this season, the organization expects him to recover in time for the beginning of the 2026–27 campaign. His absence, however, leaves Toronto without its top offensive player for the rest of the year.
The NHL Department of Player Safety reviewed the play and announced a five-game suspension for Gudas on Friday. As part of the discipline, the Ducks captain will also forfeit $104,166.65 in salary during the suspension.
Now, one storyline from the Matthews’ hit has been the Maple Leafs’ players’ reaction on the ice following the collision. Several players were nearby when the hit occurred, but none immediately confronted Gudas. After the game, William Nylander explained that he did not clearly see the play at first.
The subject came up recently during a recent episode of the “Wingmen with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk” podcast. The two NHL forwards discussed what players usually do when a teammate, especially a star player, takes a dangerous hit.
“It’s an unwritten rule,” Matthew said. “If your captain or best player of the team, and [he] loses an edge, you’re going after somebody.”
Soon Brady added, “Yeah, even if he takes a bump. I mean, if you go after our best players, we’re going after your best players.”
Brady also spoke about how teammates normally respond when a key player gets injured in that way.
“Your captain gets taken out like that, you gotta have a way better response,” Brady said. “I know how I’d feel if I got hit like that and nobody really jumped in there. I’d be pretty pissed.”
Tkachuk added that Matthews has always shown a strong commitment to his teammates during games.
“I know Auston’s personality, and how much he’s a gamer,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “If somebody went after somebody on his team, and he saw it, he’d be right in there too. And he’s the last guy that needs to be doing that with being that unreal player.”
Toronto and Anaheim are scheduled to meet again on March 30 in Anaheim. The upcoming game will again draw attention to the incident that ended Matthews’ season and sparked these discussions.
