The NHL Director of Player Security, George Parros, has finally responded to the backlash received regarding the Radko Gudas decision. The Anaheim Ducks defenseman was guilty of a knee-to-knee collision with Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who has now since been ruled out for the remainder of the season with injury.
Gudas was provided a hearing for his transgression and was slapped with a five-game suspension for the same. Despite this, many among the NHL community were not happy with the verdict.
One among them was Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, arguing that if suspension verdicts are called into question on a regular basis, the NHLPA may be to blame.
George Parros while addressing the media, noted that a lot of thought goes into these decisions and that they are always made after a long discussion. According to an X post by reporter Eric Engels, the former right-winger said,
“We sweat over these decisions and pour over these decisions every night, all season long. We have a process in place that’s consistent, and we have a team that works for me, and together with me, that evaluates all these plays. A very experienced team, a veteran team. Guys that have been there since the beginning of the department.”
George Parros later went on to add,
“Not to mention all the former players that have a large set of experiences playing NHL games, accolades. Some of the best guys that have played the game work for this department help make decisions. So, our process, I feel very confident in. We’ve got great guys who make these decisions, and I think the players should be confident in this team to do so.”
Auston Matthews suffered a grade 3 MCL tear as well as a quadriceps contusion, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, a significant blow for the Maple Leafs. Even Matthews’ agent was outraged with the decision, questioning the legitimacy of the NHLPA’s punishment.
George Parros not “surprised” by Moldaver’s reaction
Auston Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver lashed out at the NHLPA following Radko Gudas’ 5-game suspension calling the sentence laughable and noted that decisions like these make players less reliant on the NHL’s disciplinary activity. He was so upset by the verdict that he even suggested that the disciplinary committee be suspended for making such a decision.
Interestingly, NHL DoPS head George Parros stated that he is not shocked by this reaction because any agent whose client sustains an injury of this magnitude will be angry. According to another X post by reporter Eric Engels, Parros said,
“Listen, is anybody surprised that an agent is going to stand up for his player? I’m not. There’s nasty stuff that gets said out there in the social media world, but it’s not my concern.”
Radko Gudas will be eligible to return to the game on March 24, when the Ducks face the Vancouver Canucks.
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