Serious accusations surface against Radko Gudas following Sidney Crosby hit

The collision that sidelined Canadian captain Sidney Crosby for the remainder of the Olympic tournament has now ignited a new controversy. Footage from Wednesday’s quarterfinal shows Czech defenseman Radko Gudas, who plays for the Anaheim Ducks, reportedly using a homophobic slur during the same period he delivered the hit that forced Crosby from the ice.

The focus for days had been on Team Canada’s captain’s injury, but has now shifted.

Mic’d up on the ice, Gudas can be heard yelling: “Get off your f*king knees, you f*king c**ksucker!” while protesting a two-minute penalty for roughing against Brandon Hagel. The slur appears directed at Sweden’s referee Mikael Holm, although it’s unclear if it was aimed at someone else just out of frame. He then proceeds to the penalty box.

Social media immediately lit up in response. Reddit users on r/hockeymemes highlighted the sequence: “Injured an Olympic legend after a dirty play, got one penalty when he deserved four, and yelled a homophobic slur at the ref.”

Others debated whether the comment qualified as homophobic, but the precedent in hockey is clear—players have been fined for similar language. In 2017, Ducks veteran Ryan Getzlaf was fined $10,000 by the NHL for using the same slur toward a referee.

On Tuesday, Gudas acknowledged that he used what is considered a homophobic slur during the Czech Republic’s game against Canada last week, and apologized during an interview with The Athletic.

“I’m a very passionate guy,” Gudas said. “I put my heart on a sleeve, and I take the game very seriously. I didn’t realize at that moment the full meaning of the word and I’m really sorry they had to be part of it. Learn from our mistakes.”

The incident adds another layer to an already contentious moment in the Olympics. Crosby’s injury has already dominated headlines, but the alleged language from Gudas has prompted discussions about player conduct, accountability, and respect at the highest level of the sport.

The focus now centers on how the IIHF and NHL might respond to this alleged misconduct.