Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Out For Season With Torn Mcl After Hit

Toronto Maple Leafs skipper Auston Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament successful his near knee and will miss nan remainder of nan NHL season.

The squad provided an wounded update Friday night, a small nether 24 hours since Matthews was knocked retired of a crippled against Anaheim connected a knee-on-knee deed from Radko Gudas.

The Leafs said Matthews has a Grade 3 MCL tear and a bruised quadriceps musculus and would beryllium evaluated again successful 2 weeks. Gudas is facing up to a five-game suspension for kneeing.

Gudas was fixed a awesome punishment and ejected.

“Dirty play,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday night. “League’s going to evidently look astatine it and spot what nan suspension will beryllium aliases immoderate happens.”

Trying to make a move astir Gudas successful nan slot successful nan 2nd play of Toronto’s 6-4 victory, Matthews stook a nonstop rustle to his near limb and collapsed to nan ice. The US Olympic skipper stayed down earlier being helped to nan locker room.

Gudas is nan bruising Czech defender who ended Canadian skipper Sidney Crosby’s Olympics successful nan quarter-finals pinch a hit.

“He’s done a fewer of those earlier successful his career,” Toronto winger Matthew Knies said.

Gudas was asked pursuing Anaheim’s greeting skate astir trying to incorporate Matthews.

“We spell to beryllium connected apical of him,” Gudas said. “We sewage to make judge that he doesn’t get abstraction successful nan mediate of nan crystal … make his night’s not enjoyable.”

Ducks coach Joel Quenneville defended his player.

“There’s nary premeditation,” Quenneville said. “Reflexes did it.”

Matthews snapped a 12-game extremity drought earlier successful nan play connected a powerfulness play. He had 27 goals and 26 assists successful 60 games this season.