It appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs have reached unanimous agreement about Radko Gudas’ five-game suspension for kneeing captain Auston Matthews.

Matthews suffered a season-ending Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion from the hit. Berube was irate that there wasn’t an imminent physical response from his team, after Matthews left Thursday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks with the assistance of a trainer.

“We lose our captain for the year, I don’t know … it doesn’t seem like enough for me,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following Saturday’s morning skate via Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. “Guy doing it is a repeat offender, it just doesn’t seem like enough.”

Matthews recorded 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games this season for the Maple Leafs. He also captained the United States men’s hockey team to its first Olympic gold medal since 1980.

The NHL Department of Player Safety was roundly criticized for the lenient sanction. Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver delivered a scathing opinion of the DOPS following the announcement of Gudas’ suspension on Friday night.

“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous,” Moldaver said in a message to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. “While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous. This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended.”

“I believe Auston’s been ruled out for quite a while, right, so it’s going to be more than five games what he’s missing, so it easily could’ve been longer,” Maple Leafs forward John Tavares said Saturday via TSN’s Mark Masters. “Can’t say five games is nothing but, yeah, easily could have seen it been longer.”

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