TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss the rest of the NHL season.
The team provided an injury update Friday night, a little under 24 hours since Matthews was knocked out of a game against Anaheim on a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, center, is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) and Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) lay on the ice after colliding during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, left, is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Leafs said Matthews has a Grade 3 MCL tear and a bruised quadriceps muscle and would be evaluated again in two weeks. Gudas was suspended five games for kneeing, the maximum the league's Department of Safety could levy because his hearing was by phone.
Matthews' agent, Judd Moldaver said in a statement that “in light of the obvious severity of the play, I am very disappointed and shocked that the league would allow for such a ruling.” Moldaver took issue with the decision to limit the suspension to five games.
In game, Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected.
“Dirty play,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday night. “League’s going to obviously look at it and see what the suspension will be or whatever happens.”
Trying to make a move around Gudas in the slot in the second period of Toronto’s 6-4 victory, Matthews stook a direct blow to his left leg and crashed to the ice. The U.S. Olympic captain stayed down before being helped to the locker room.
Gudas is the bruising Czech defender who ended Canadian captain Sidney Crosby’s Olympics in the quarterfinals with a hit.
“He’s done a few of those before in his career,” Toronto winger Matthew Knies said.
Gudas was asked following Anaheim’s morning skate about trying to contain Matthews.
“We go to be on top of him,” Gudas said. “We got to make sure that he doesn’t get space in the middle of the ice … make his night’s not enjoyable.”
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville defended his player.
“There’s no premeditation,” Quenneville said. “Reflexes did it.”
Matthews snapped a 12-game goal drought earlier in the period on a power play. He had 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games this season.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, center, is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) and Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) lay on the ice after colliding during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, left, is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 2026--
Syngenta Group announced today the signing of an agreement to divest its Flowers business into a strategic joint venture with Dümmen Orange, bringing together two global players in ornamental breeding and propagation. This partnership represents an important step forward for both organizations as they work together to better serve growers around the world. Both boards of directors have formally approved the deal, and completion of closing is subject to any necessary regulatory approvals. Syngenta Group will maintain a significant economic interest in the joint venture.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260520779835/en/
“We’re proud of the 120-year legacy of our Syngenta Flowers business, and this joint venture allows us to continue honoring that legacy of innovation and passion that our colleagues built over the years,” said Matthew Johnston, Global Head of Syngenta’s Vegetable Seeds and Flowers business. “This decision also aligns with Syngenta’s commitment to focus future investments in core crops and markets where we have the biggest growth opportunities.”
The new company will combine deep industry and operational experience with a strong entrepreneurial mindset. Dümmen Orange and Syngenta plan to unite their strengths to build a more resilient and competitive enterprise. The joint venture will bring together both companies’ complementary portfolios, combining Dümmen Orange’s expertise in cut flowers and Syngenta’s leadership in seed varieties, along with annual, perennial and potted plant portfolios that both companies have built over decades. Advanced R&D capabilities, optimized production processes, and expanded commercial networks will be integrated to improve efficiency and better serve customer needs.
Rabobank acted as exclusive financial advisor to Syngenta and UBS acted as exclusive financial advisor to Dümmen Orange and its shareholders.
The combined entity, which will be named at a later date, aims to advance the ornamental horticulture industry, delivering sustainable value to employees, customers, shareholders, and other stakeholders.
About Syngenta Group
Syngenta Group is one of the world’s biggest agricultural innovation companies, employing over 50,000 people in more than 90 countries. Syngenta Group is focused on developing technologies and farming practices that empower farmers, so they can make the transformation required to feed the world’s population while preserving our planet. Syngenta Group’s bold scientific discoveries deliver better benefits for farmers and society on a bigger scale than ever before. Guided by its Sustainability Goal, Syngenta Group supports farmers to grow healthier plants in healthier soil with a higher yield.
Syngenta Group, which is registered in Shanghai, China, and has its management headquarters in Switzerland, draws strength from its four business units: Syngenta Crop Protection, headquartered in Switzerland; Syngenta Seeds, headquartered in the United States; ADAMA ®, headquartered in Israel; and Syngenta Group China.
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This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as “expect,” “would,” “will,” “potential,” “plans,” “prospects,” “estimated,” “aiming,” “on track” and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta Group, such risks and uncertainties include, amongst others, risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, refinancing risk, interest rate fluctuations and access to capital markets, compliance and remediation, evolving environmental and sustainability regulations, changes in agricultural policies or subsidy regimes, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or grain prices, supply chain disruptions, (geo)political risks, trade restrictions, sanctions, and export controls, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta Group assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.
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Syngenta to divest its Flowers business into a Joint Venture with Dümmen Orange
