A man from Kladno, Czechoslovakia, has quickly become the most hated hockey player in Canada.
The man is Radko Gudas, the rugged captain of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, who sidelined Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews for the remainder of the regular season with a violent knee-on-knee collision.
Gudas’ reputation precedes itself as he’s been affectionately nicknamed “The Butcher” by the popular hockey podcast “Spittin’ Chiclets”. Gudas has drawn the ire of Canadian hockey fans for years now. Gudas has a lengthy disciplinary record. He was suspended four times between 2015 and 2019, totalling 21 games, and has forfeited more than $750,000 US in salary.
In the 2022-2023 playoffs, Gudas proceeded to scream in the face of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll after the Florida Panthers captured a series victory in game five of the series.
Before the 2024 season, Gudas was named captain of the Ducks, making him the first captain of the franchise since the legendary Regin native Ryan Getzlaf retired in 2022.
From there, Gudas remained quiet in his own way until the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
In a quarter-final matchup with Czechia, Gudas would take out the captain of Team Canada, Sidney Crosby, with a questionable hit.
Crosby would miss both the semi-finals against Finland and the finals against the USA with a meniscus injury.
On March 12th, Gudas was suspended for five games for a blatant knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews. The incident that has created a firestorm surrounding the NHL’s Department of Player Safety,
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman asked Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid’s agent, Judd Moldaver, about the hit, and the Department of Player Safety, in which Moldaver replied, “A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous.”
“While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous,” Moldaver continued. His other high-profile client, Connor McDavid, also echoed this claim by stating, “Why don’t we take a look at the process and figure out if there’s a better way to make sure both parties are happy? It seems like there’s a lot of frustration there.”
The head of Player Safety, George Parros, is on record defending his decision for the five-game suspension as well as the process that surrounds suspensions.
“When we evaluate these plays, we look at the play, not the players…” Parros said, “We did this and made this decision under those circumstances, felt that this was the appropriate response… and I stand by it.”
Parros, who enjoyed a nine-year career in the NHL, played 356 of his 474 games while wearing an Anaheim Ducks sweater and may be perceived as biased toward the Ducks captain.
Moldaver would argue otherwise.
“This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players,” said Moldaver. “Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended.”
Moldaver’s words have resonated with the broader hockey community.
Radko Gudas yelling at Maple Leafs Goaltender Joseph Woll
Radko Gudas Injures Sidney Crosby at the Olympics
Radko Gudas Injures Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews
EDIT: Post updated April 2026
