Report: George Parros to attend Leafs, Ducks rematch in first game since Matthews’ injury
You know tensions are high when one of the NHL’s notable executives is coming to town.
According to David Alter of The Hockey News, NHL Department of Player Safety president George Parros is expected to be in the audience on Monday night, as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Anaheim Ducks.
While, on paper, this is a matchup between a team that is far from a playoff spot and one fighting for a division title, there is an ever-looming cloud of what happened the first time these two teams met in Toronto less than three weeks ago. In that game on March 12, Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas caught Maple Leafs captain with a knee-on-knee hit.
The incident caused a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in Matthews’ left leg, putting him on the shelf for the remainder of the regular season. Gudas was suspended for five games for the hit, though many from around the game believed the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
Gudas publicly stated that he certainly didn’t mean to hurt Matthews, and that he hopes to be in the lineup when Toronto arrives at the Honda Center on Monday. However, Gudas was out last week with an injury, leading many to wonder whether he’d be able to dress against the Leafs.
The potential appearance of Parros isn’t uncommon, as the longtime DoPS leader has been to a few games where tensions might boil over. He infamously attended a game between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers amid the hostilities between then-Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk and former Oilers grinder Zack Kassian.
For Monday night, there’s a sense that some retribution might be taken out against Gudas. The Leafs were heavily criticized for their lack of response to Matthews getting injured, as no more than some pushing and shoving ensued after Gudas’ hit on their captain. Morgan Rielly, the longest-tenured Leaf, took a lot of the blame for not taking exception to the incident.
All in all, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out in Anaheim. Will Toronto seek revenge for their superstar captain? Or will Parros’ presence limit the extracurriculars, much to the dismay of Leafs Nation?
Puck drop is scheduled for a little after 10 p.m. ET.