Olympic Hockey player Radko Gudas shouted a homophobic slur during the Czech Republic men’s team’s quarterfinal match last Wednesday against Canada at the Italian Winter Games. Gudas, who is also a National Hockey League (NHL) player for the Anaheim Ducks, lost the match 4-3 in overtime.

“Get off your f**king knees, you f**king c**ksucker!” Gudas reportedly yelled at Swedish referee Mikael Holm while protesting a two-minute roughing penalty he received against Canadian player Brandon Hagel, according to Outsports.

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While some online commenters said that Gudas didn’t mean the term as a specifically anti-gay attack, it is indeed homophobic when people pejoratively accuse men of having oral sex with other men as a way to insult them. The National Hockey League’s official rules prohibit such slurs, and the league has previously issued fines of up to $10,000 to players who have directed the homophobic slur towards referees.

It’s unclear if Gudas will face any professional penalty for the slur. He has not publicly apologized for the slur as of Monday afternoon. Online commenters criticized Gudas for his language and for tackling Canadian team captain Sidney Crosby five minutes into the game’s second period, causing Crosby to leave the ice rink with a lower-body injury.

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Gudas later apologized for injuring Crosby, telling Idnes.cz, “I tried to play hard, like everyone else. It was like a playoff, like Game 7. I hope Sid is OK. You never want to see someone get hurt. Especially in games like that at big tournaments.”

Gudas reportedly has a reputation for regularly injuring other players. He has been suspended for numerous games for his unnecessary hits on other players, has garnered disapproval in the sports press for his injurious actions, and has even gained the nickname “The Butcher.”

In 2016, the NHL became part of You Can Play, a campaign to end homophobia and transphobia in sports. However, the NHL has never had an out gay player in a regular-season NHL game. In July 2021, prospect Luke Prokop became the first player under contract with an NHL team (Nashville Predators) to come out as gay, though he has not yet played in the league.

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