"If every time there is a suspension everybody complains about it, why don't we take a look at the process, [And] figure out if there's a better way to make sure that both parties are happy because it seems like there's a lot of frustration."
"That punishment was critiqued for being too light given Gudas' history -- he'd been suspended four times previously -- and for the caliber of injury Matthews suffered as a result of Gudas' knee-on-knee hit."
"The DoPS rendered its verdict by offering Gudas a phone hearing that made a five-game ban the maximum allowable; anything more requires an in-person meeting. The play in question was considered by critics to be significant enough to warrant the latter."
Connor McDavid publicly criticized the NHL's Department of Player Safety (DoPS) decision to suspend Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas for only five games following a knee-on-knee hit that caused Auston Matthews a season-ending Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion. McDavid questioned the discipline process, suggesting the league examine whether better procedures exist to satisfy both players and management. The five-game suspension was controversial given Gudas' prior suspension history and the severity of Matthews' injury. The DoPS offered Gudas only a phone hearing, which limited the maximum suspension to five games; an in-person meeting would have allowed greater penalties. Critics argued the punishment was insufficient for such a significant injury-causing incident.
Read at ESPN.com
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