Senators’ Brady Tkachuk says Leafs should have stepped up after Auston Matthews was injured
VIDEO
The Battle of Ontario has taken a strange turn.
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk stood up for Auston Matthews, his counterpart for the Toronto Maple Leafs, after he had his season ended last week by an ugly hit by Anaheim Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas.
While Gudas was given a five-game suspension by the NHL’s department of player safety, Tkachuk entered the debate regarding Matthews’ Leafs teammates’ lack of reaction on Thursday night in Toronto.
Matthews, who suffered a knee injury, had to be helped off the ice, and nobody on the Leafs opted to at least challenge Gudas to a fight. Speaking on the weekly Wingmen Podcast he does with his brother, Matthew, Tkachuk stated if that happened in Ottawa, he wouldn’t be the least bit pleased.
“That’s why I’m happy I’m not the leader of player safety, because it feels like what decision you make, somebody’s going to be upset,” Tkachuk said on the preview of this week’s podcast that was posted on X on Monday.
‘Your captain gets taken out like that, I mean, gotta have a way better response,’ said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, referring to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ response after Auston Matthews was injured on an ugly hit by Anaheim Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas.
“If somebody is going to do that and stuff like that, I feel like a lot of that is just you’ve got to police it yourselves during the game. And during that play, your captain gets taken out like that, I mean, gotta have a way better response. Personally, I know how I’d feel if I got hit like that and nobody really jumped in there, I’d be pretty pissed. I love the way Auston plays.”
Tkachuk was a teammate with Matthews on Team USA at the Winter Games in Italy last month and won a gold medal. They have always been friends and respect each other.
The Leafs took a lot of heat for not reacting to the hit by Gudas.
“I’ve been in that position before,” Tkachuk added. “You’re pissed off you’re in that spot and you have that natural anger, and you want to take it out. That was the perfect opportunity to stand up for your captain … just didn’t see it.”
The Senators host the Leafs on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre, so this should make for an interesting backdrop.
Related
- Ottawa Senators bite back in 7-4 victory over San Jose Sharks to keep playoff hopes alive
- Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark the Zero Hero in 2-0 win over Ducks