Leafs’ Auston Matthews out for season after knee-to-knee hit

Toronto Maple Leafs captain auston matthews He will miss the remainder of the 2025–26 NHL season due to a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Team announced Friday.

Matthews, who has a Grade 3 MCL tear and quadriceps muscle injury, will be reevaluated in two weeks.

The team’s update comes less than 24 hours after Matthews was ruled out of Thursday night’s game anaheim on one knee strike From Radko Gudas.

Gudas was given a major penalty and thrown out. Friday night, it was Suspended five games due to kneelingThe league’s security department could impose the maximum charges because the hearing was conducted by phone.

matthews agent, Judd Moldaver said in a statement that “in light of the obvious seriousness of the play, I am deeply disappointed and shocked that the league would allow such a decision.” Moldaver objected to the decision to limit the suspension to five games.

Toronto trying to move around Gudas in the slot in the second period win 6-4Matthews took a direct hit to his left foot and collided with the ice. The captain of the US Olympic team stayed downstairs before being helped to the locker room.

Leafs coach Craig Berube made it clear he was not happy with Gudas’ hit and none of Matthews’ teammates stepped up to engage Gudas after the strike.

“It’s a dirty play,” Berube said. “We needed four people there to do something about it… We all wanted everyone to get there right away.”

Gudas is the fierce Czech defender who finished off the Canadian captain Sidney CrosbyWith a hit in the quarterfinals of the Olympics.

“He’s done some of these things before in his career,” the Toronto winger said. Matthew Neese Said.

Ducks coach Joel Quenneville defended his player.

“There is no premeditation,” Quenneville said. “The reactions did it.”

The 28-year-old Matthews finished the season with 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games. Toronto is projected to miss the postseason for the first time since Matthews entered the league as the No. 1 pick in 2016.

It’s been a trying season for Matthews and the Leafs, who snapped an eight-game winless streak with a win over the Ducks. Matthews ended a 12-game scoreless drought with a power-play goal before Gudas hit.

Toronto is in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 28–27–11 record.

Leafs lead the Atlantic Division buffalo saber On Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.