CFL legend Darian Durant discusses the differences between football and hockey retribution

The Toronto Maple Leafs did not respond when Auston Matthews was aggressively hit by Radko Gudas, prompting Saskatchewan Roughriders legend Darian Durant to weigh in, drawing parallels with football. Durant explained that in football, such a scenario would be viewed as a serious and often retaliated-against offense.

“If you want to compare it to something in football, it’s similar to a late hit on a quarterback—a dirty, deliberate play by a defensive lineman,” Durant told The SportsCage. “Quarterbacks are generally the players most targeted for those types of hits, so naturally, other players on the team are ready to respond.”

Durant elaborated that in football, offensive linemen often step in to protect their quarterback. “When an offensive lineman sticks up for the quarterback and ends up with a penalty, it’s because he’s preventing a cheap shot from a defender. That’s the kind of thing you’d expect in football,” he said.

The hit by Gudas led to a five-game suspension, while Matthews’ season ended with a grade three MCL tear. While hockey allows players to settle disputes physically, Durant noted that football requires more subtlety in handling these situations. “Usually it happens under a pile,” he explained. “When you’re engaged as an offensive lineman, you might let up slightly on a defender, but a cheap opportunity to take someone down can present itself. You can’t approach it like hockey, where you just drop your gloves and fight. In football, you have to work within the rules, but there are still ways to respond without risking penalties or ejection.”

Durant also discussed how incidents like this escalate tension between teams. “Every football player knows this is part of the game. When someone takes a late hit on one of your guys, everyone is aware, and retaliation is inevitable. Players talk about it in the huddle, even during TV timeouts. Teams across from each other are yelling, ‘I saw what you did to my guy, and I’m going to get you.’ It’s understood that payback will happen—it’s just a matter of time.”

He went on to compare retribution in football with other sports. “In baseball, a pitcher might throw at a batter. In football, a lineman might take out a player under the pile or make a subtle hit. I wanted to see Toronto do something similar in hockey, a more direct response. But each sport has its own way of handling these situations, and in hockey, that usually means dropping the gloves,” Durant said.

In summary, while the sports differ in how they deal with aggression, the principle of defending teammates and responding to unfair plays is universal, though football requires a more measured approach compared with hockey’s open physicality.