Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has had surgical repair of a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, the hockey team announced Thursday.
The procedure was performed in New York, with team officials saying Matthews will require approximately 12 weeks for full recovery.
The 28-year-old star sustained the injury in the second period of Toronto’s March 12 matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
The damage occurred when Anaheim defenseman Radko Gudas delivered a knee-on-knee collision with Matthews. The injured player stayed down on the ice in visible discomfort while medical staff attended to him, with the full severity of the injury becoming clear the next day.
League officials handed Gudas a five-game suspension for the illegal hit, adding to what is now his fifth career suspension.
Despite the injury, Matthews managed to score in Toronto’s 6-4 victory over Anaheim and concluded his season with 53 points, including 27 goals and 26 assists across 60 games.
The star center recently served as captain for Team USA’s gold medal-winning Olympic squad in Italy last month.
Matthews has established himself as one of hockey’s premier talents, earning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player during the 2021-22 season.
Throughout his decade-long career with Toronto, Matthews has accumulated 428 goals and 780 points over 689 regular-season appearances, capturing the Calder Trophy as top rookie in 2016-17.
His All-Star Game credentials include seven selections, with actual participation in five events and MVP honors in 2024. Previous injuries forced him to withdraw in 2020 due to a wrist problem and in 2023 because of knee issues.
