"In an attempt to make a defensive play on Matthews, Gudas leads with his knee, jutting it forward and making forceful, direct contact with Matthews, causing him to fall to the ice. This is kneeing. It is important to note that Gudas is in control of this play. We acknowledge Gudas' assertion that he is attempting to make a full body check and prevent a goal, but this play cannot be excused as a play in which evasive or sudden movements by either player are the primary cause of the knee-on-knee contact."
"If he wants to deliver this hit, the onus is on Gudas to ensure that he makes an approach to deliver a legal, full body check. Instead, having led with an extended knee and now finding himself lined up outside of Matthews' core, Gudas leans towards contact with Matthews in a way that results in a forceful, dangerous and direct knee-on-knee collision."
During a Thursday night game, Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas delivered a knee-on-knee hit to Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews while defending against a scoring chance. Gudas was immediately assessed a major penalty and game misconduct. The NHL Department of Player Safety determined that Gudas led with an extended knee, making forceful and direct contact with Matthews' knee, causing injury. Despite Gudas's claim of attempting a full body check, the league found he had control of the play and failed to execute a legal hit. The suspension marks Gudas's fifth disciplinary action in his 881-game NHL career, with his previous suspension occurring over seven years ago. Matthews' injury represents a significant loss for Toronto's franchise player.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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