Determined to answer for his controversial hit on Auston Matthews and shield his teammates from retribution, Radko Gudas will play through injury in Monday's high-stakes rematch against the Maple Leafs.
ANAHEIM, Calif — The date has been circled on the calendar in both locker rooms since March 12, but for a while this weekend, it looked like the man at the center of the storm might not be there to weather it.
Radko Gudas, the Anaheim Ducks captain whose knee-on-knee hit sidelined Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews for the season, is officially back. After missing time with an apparent ankle injury sustained last Thursday against the Calgary Flames,an injury that had him in a walking boot just 48 hours ago, Gudas confirmed following Monday’s morning skate that he will suit up for the highly anticipated rematch at Honda Center.
For Gudas, the decision to play through the pain wasn't just about the two points in the standings. It was about a specific brand of veteran accountability.
"Help our team," Gudas said when asked why it was vital for him to return tonight. "You never want to watch your team play without you, so yeah, we’re doing everything to play in these games".
The last time these two teams met, Gudas delivered a hit that resulted in a Grade 3 MCL tear for Matthews, requiring surgery and a 12-week recovery timeline. The NHL Department of Player Safety handed Gudas a five-game suspension, a ruling that Leafs’ management and Matthews’ camp labeled “laughable and preposterous” given the severity of the injury.
Gudas has since served that ban and returned to the lineup briefly before the ankle injury in Calgary threatened his status for Monday. While he isn't 100 percent, the defenseman was adamant that he needed to be on the ice to face the music. and to ensure his teammates didn't have to face it for him.
"I think it’s going to be an intense game," Gudas admitted. "One of the reasons why I wanted to play, you know, address things".
When asked if his presence was intended to shield teammates from potential retribution, Gudas didn't mince words.
"Yeah, exactly. That’s another thing," Gudas said. "You know, stand behind my own mistakes, you know, I want to address it myself. So that’s one of the reasons, 100%. That’s one of those games where I have to play".
The tension surrounding the game is palpable. Toronto has faced criticism for a perceived lack of immediate response when the hit occurred on March 12. With George Parros, the NHL’s Senior Vice President of Player Safety, expected to be in attendance, the hockey world is waiting to see if the “fireworks” Gudas anticipates will ignite early.
Gudas, a veteran of over 700 NHL games, knows the script for nights like these.
"Usually something like that's going to happen [early]," Gudas said of a potential confrontation. "Usually that's when it's addressed early in the game. Everybody can, I don't want to say relax a little bit,but everybody knows that the thing is going to [be] addressed".
Despite the noise, Gudas insisted his preparation remains the same. He described his health simply as "good to play" and noted that he doesn't intend to change his style of play, even with a target on his back.
"I usually keep my head on a swivel every game, so there’s not really a lot of changes," he said. "I just think it's going to be a lot higher intensity games that we experienced the last few weeks here for us... It's going to have the most playoff-like feel as we can get close to it".
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who was seen pulled Gudas aside for a private conversation at the end of the morning skate, confirmed his captain’s status.
"He said he's good to go," Quenneville said. "I think he knows how games like this can be played out and his experience can help him. But I think he wants to play, and he's going to play".
Quenneville acknowledged the “envelope-pushing” style that has defined Gudas’ career. and led to five career suspensions. but stood by his player’s desire to handle the fallout personally.
"He knows the game, the competition, the way he plays," Quenneville said. "He pushes the envelope, and sometimes there’s some other things you’ve got to answer to, and I think he knows that, and I think he's a pro".