FORT LAUDERDALE — Radko Gudas’ return to the Florida Panthers has triggered a jersey-number chain reaction, bumping at least two teammates from their digits and reshaping the roster’s look heading into the 2026-27 season.

Gudas reclaimed No. 6, the number he wore before his first stint with the Panthers from 2021 to 2023, when he donned No. 7. That number now belongs to Dmitry Kulikov, who reclaimed it in 2023 after Gudas left for Anaheim. With Kulikov still on the roster, Gudas grabbed No. 6 — displacing defenseman Donovan Sebrango, who wore it last season, and beating out returning defenseman Alex Petrovic, who last played for the Panthers in 2019 and had previously worn No. 6 himself, Florida Hockey Now reported.

Sebrango will now wear No. 73, a number previously worn by Brandon Pirri, who scored 22 goals during the 2014-15 season before being traded to Anaheim in 2016. Petrovic, meanwhile, takes No. 36 — his third number with the organization after starting his Panthers career in No. 72.

Goalie Jacob Markstrom reclaimed No. 25, the same number he wore during his final season with the Panthers in 2013. The number had most recently been worn by Nolan Foote in 2026. Among the notable Panthers to don No. 25, Viktor Kozlov logged parts of seven seasons with the club, while Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk ended his career wearing it.

Forward Brady Tkachuk takes No. 8, previously worn by Nico Sturm in 2025. Peter Worrell, who switched to No. 8 in 2000, remains one of the most popular players to wear the number, ranking second on the Panthers’ all-time penalty minutes list with 1,375 behind Paul Laus’ 1,702. Center Lars Eller picks up No. 20, last worn by Mike Benning in 2026. The number carries franchise weight — Brian Skrudland, Florida’s first captain, wore it beginning in 1993, and the Panthers did not reissue it for several years after his departure. Forward Garnet Hathaway takes No. 21, previously associated with Vincent Trocheck, one of the team’s leading scorers in the mid-2010s, and original Panther Tom Fitzgerald, whose son Casey is now a Florida defenseman on a two-way contract.

Goalie Akira Schmid will wear No. 40, taking over from Daniil Tarasov, who wore it in 2026. Peter Andersson was the first Panther to wear No. 6 in 1994, while Dallas Eakins was the first to wear No. 8 that same year.

Panthers training camp is scheduled for early to mid-September in Fort Lauderdale, with the preseason opener set for Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes.