This is what was said on awkward call between Auston Matthews and Radko Gudas after season-ending hit

The fallout from March 12 is still being felt, and now, a new layer has been added. Radko Gudas revealed that he personally reached out to Auston Matthews following the knee-on-knee collision that ended the Toronto Maple Leafs captain’s season. But according to Gudas, the conversation was anything but easy.

This is what was reported by Sportsnet:

“I really hate the way it ended up, the point of contact,” Gudas told reporters after the Ducks’ morning skate at Rogers Arena. “I’m not a fan of that. I never want to injure anybody out there. It’s a hard-fought game. It’s just, yeah, I never want to go out there and hurt anybody. I feel terrible about the outcome. I just committed to the play, and unfortunately that was the point of contact.”

Gudas said he texted Matthews after the game in Toronto, and the Maple Leaf got back to him a couple of days later.

“I didn’t like the point of contact, either,” Gudas said. “That’s what I’m looking at; I’ve got to respect… I’ve got to learn. I’ve got to be better as a hockey player. I never want to go out there and hurt anybody. It’s very unfortunate. I reached out to him, too. We spoke. I never want to see anybody get hurt, so I feel terrible about that.”

What was the phone call like?

“It’s very hard to, really hard, to keep in conversation,” Gudas said. “Just wanted to make sure that (he knew) it was not my intention to hurt anybody.”

That hit, one that resulted in a Grade 3 MCL tear, sparked immediate outrage across the hockey world. Matthews was helped off the ice and later ruled out for the remainder of the season, leaving a massive void in Toronto’s lineup.

The reaction didn’t stop there. Fans and media quickly turned their attention to the lack of response from Matthews’ teammates on the ice. Morgan Rielly and William Nylander both later admitted they should have stepped in, acknowledging the moment called for a stronger reaction.

Now, Gudas’ attempt to clear the air adds a human element to an otherwise heated situation as he returned from his five-game suspension against the Vancouver Canucks last night.

There’s no indication that the call brought any sense of closure. What is clear, though, is that the impact of that hit goes far beyond the ice.

In the end, for Matthews and the Maple Leafs, it’s a season altered in an instant, and it’s a conversation that likely won’t be forgotten anytime soon.