Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews underwent successful MCL surgery in New York on Thursday, the team announced.
Matthews, who had already been ruled out for the season, now has an expected recovery time of 12 weeks and is expected to be fully healthy for training camp.
The 28-year-old was injured one week earlier from a knee-to-knee hit delivered by Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas. The play earned Gudas a five-game suspension. The Maple Leafs believed the play deserved more punishment.
“We lose our captain for the year. It doesn’t seem like enough for me,’ Leafs coach Craig Berube said.
Gudas also ended Canada captain Sidney Crosby’s Olympics with a hit in the quarterfinals, however Crosby has said he didn’t believe it was a dirty play.
Matthews agent, Judd Moldaver, blasted the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in a statement.
“While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous,” Moldaver wrote. “This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended.”
At this week’s NHL GM meetings, commissioner Gary Bettman said the criticism for the department was unfair while the head of Player Safety, George Parros, defended the process he and his team have used over the last nine years.
It had already been a challenging season for the Maple Leafs, who are on track to miss the playoffs for the first time since Matthews debuted in the 2016-17 season. Toronto was forced to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline as they look to reset.
Matthews, who captained USA to a gold medal in the Olympics, finished the season with 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games while averaging 20:18 a night. While recovering from surgery, Matthews is unlikely to play for Team USA at this spring’s World Championships, which pulls talent from non-playoff teams.
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