Maple Leafs GM Furious Over Auston Matthews Incident Response

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost their star forward, Auston Matthews, after a collision with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, and general manager Brad Treliving isn't taking the incident lying down. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Toronto boss is furious after what was perpetrated with his top player.

He revealed Treliving exploded behind the scenes following the knee-on-knee collision that ended the captain's season, making phone calls from the road to express his displeasure. The incident occurred when Gudas delivered a knee-on-knee hit to Matthews during the second period.

Matthews immediately went down in agony and needed assistance leaving the ice, suffering a grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. What intensified the fallout was Toronto's lack of immediate response on the ice.

None of Matthews' teammates confronted Gudas in the moments after the hit, drawing criticism from fans and media as the captain lay injured on the ice waiting for medical attention.

Calls From the Road

Friedman shared new details about Treliving's reaction on the 32 Thoughts podcast after receiving additional information over the weekend. The insider stressed his source was not Treliving himself but someone very close to the general manager.

"I heard Brad Treliving was absolutely wild about what happened on Thursday night," Friedman said. "I didn't realize this, but he wasn't there; he was out scouting."

Treliving reportedly called players involved in the incident from the road.

"I heard he was furious and I heard he called, from the road, some of the players involved," Friedman explained.

The insider attempted to learn specifics about those conversations but hit a wall.

"I asked what was said and people wouldn't tell me they said they weren't going that far, they weren't revealing the conversations," Friedman said. "But apparently he called some of the players involved from the road."

Lack of Immediate Response

Toronto's failure to defend their captain drew sharp criticism from head coach Craig Berube. The bench boss admitted the four players on the ice with Matthews should have immediately confronted Gudas after the dangerous hit.

Mar 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) looks up at the scoreboard after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

"We should've had four guys in there doing something about it," Berube said following the game. "It didn't happen then, but I thought we responded in the third."

The team did show more physicality later when Easton Cowan fought Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe.

The teams combined for 48 penalty minutes in the third period as tensions escalated. The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Gudas for five games, the maximum allowed under a phone hearing. Matthews' agent, Judd Moldaver, called the punishment inadequate given the severity of the outcome.

"In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling," Moldaver said. "A phone hearing and 5 games are laughable and preposterous."

His client, Matthews, will miss the final 16 regular-season games after scoring 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games this season.

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