NHL Player Safety gives official ruling on Leon Draisaitl hit on Auston Matthews

No penalty was called on the ice either, even with an official looking right at the play.

Matthews appeared uncomfortable but stayed in the game and later scored in a 7-2 Maple Leafs win. Draisaitl responded with both Oilers goals, pushing his season total to 12, tied with Kirill Kaprizov for the NHL lead.

Toronto's defensive group limited the McDavid and Draisaitl duo to two goals combined, a big part of the blowout.

Former NHL defenseman Kevin Bieksa called it a cheap play, pointing out that it found a spot with no padding. He made the comments on the Sportsnet postgame broadcast.

Social media split quickly, with some labeling it dirty and others saying Toronto supporters were overreacting. Because nothing was called, any discipline would have to come from the league, and that silence is feeding the frustration.

The optics are awkward for the league. Matthews himself was suspended two games in March 2022 for a cross-check to the neck of Rasmus Dahlin, a play that drew a hearing right away.

That one landed high, while this one hit the ribs, but the contrast is not lost on Leafs Nation.

Draisaitl's past discipline has come in fines, including one in April 2017 for spearing and a $5,000 fine in November 2023 for a dangerous trip on Bo Horvat.

Without a hearing or a fine, the play will likely fade from the headlines. Still, a cross-check to the ribs that goes unpunished and unexplained leaves players, coaches and fans guessing where the line sits.

Matthews and the Leafs have moved on with a dominant win, but the questions around consistency are not going away.

When these two teams meet again, expect every physical moment to be watched closely. Any update from the league will be read closely.

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