Dirty act against NHL star: Outrage over bad boy

A dirty trick is causing a stir in the NHL. At the center of it all is a bad boy who may have ended a superstar's season.

March 13, 2026

From: det

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who had been struggling recently, won 6-4 at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, but lost their star player Auston Matthews to a lower-body injury. The home team was understandably frustrated afterward.

Matthews, the Maple Leafs captain, was injured in the 36th minute when he was taken down by a dirty check to the knee from Ducks captain Radko Gudas. Matthews had to be helped off the ice by a trainer and a teammate and was only able to put minimal weight on his left leg.

Offensive player Gudas was ejected from the game with a match penalty. "That was a dirty move. I hope the league takes a very close look at it," Leafs coach Craig Berube fumed after the match.

He took Crosby out of the game

American media are speculating that Matthews' season could be over after this check. This only intensifies the anger directed at Radko Gudas, who is now responsible for the death of his second superstar in just a few months.

Here, Radko Gudas (right) injured superstar Sidney Crosby. © AFP / ALEXANDER NEMENOV

At the Olympic Games, he took out NHL legend Sidney Crosby in the quarterfinals – even though the check was legal at the time. To this day, the Canadian has not played another game for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Gudas is considered one of the NHL's bad boys, having already served a ten-game suspension in his career. It remains to be seen how long the 35-year-old Czech will be sidelined this time.

Keywords hockey NHL Dear Gudas Auston Matthews