The Toronto Maple Leafs did not react to Auston Matthews being hit by Radko Gudas, so Saskatchewan Roughriders legend Darian Durant wanted to point out what happens in football.
"If you want to compare it to something, it's like a late hit on a quarterback, a dirty play by a defensive lineman on a quarterback because quarterbacks are usually the guys that get taken out more so than anybody else," Durant said on The SportsCage.
"When you see an o-lineman come and he gets a penalty for sticking up for his quarterback or not letting a defensive guy take a cheap shot, that's the kind of situation you think about in football.”
The hit from Gudas resulted in a five-game suspension, while Matthews will miss the rest of the 2025-2026 NHL season with a grade three MCL tear. In hockey it is customary for players to fight to settle their differences, however Durant knows in football players need to be more subtle.
"I think more so under a pile. Usually, when you would let up on a guy, an offensive lineman being engaged with the defender, usually at times when you would let up and not really force them to the ground. Now, you're taking this opportunity to get you a pancake and fall on him, put your weight on him, different things like that," Durant said.
"You can't go about it like in hockey, let's drop your gloves, put your dukes up and let's go. Sometimes I wish we could do that, but you have to find other ways within the whistles under a pile. Take a cheap shot here or there, but not necessarily put yourself in a position where you can get fined or get kicked out of a game."
Durant shared how animosity builds between teams after they learn what happened to one of their own players.
"Every football guy knows that's a part of the game. If you find out a guy who laid out a late hit or a cheap shot on one of your guys, it's coming. You talk about it in the huddle," Durant said.
"There are so many TV timeouts and I don't think people at home can see what's going on during a TV timeout. There could be teams right across from each other, you're yelling at each other, 'I saw what you did to my guy. I'm going to get you.' Something like that's being said. Everyone knows, so you understand, and it's a matter of time before the retaliation happens."
Besides football and hockey, Durant talked about retribution for teammates in other sports.
"As you said, in baseball, the pitcher is going to look to bean the batter. In football, you're going to look to get a guy under the pile and maybe grab his throat, choke him a little bit, or fall on him a little bit for a lineman," Durant said.
"Of course, I wanted to see that from Toronto in hockey, let's drop the gloves, and let's go at it. You can't deck a guy like that. Each sport has its own way."
