ANAHEIM, Calif. - Radko Gudas returns Sunday to Honda Center to face the Anaheim Ducks as a Florida Panther, completing a full-circle journey for the defenseman who served as captain during a three-year rebuild that ended the franchise’s seven-season playoff drought.
Gudas, who signed with Florida on a team-friendly contract this season, practiced Saturday at the Ducks’ facility in Irvine before the 8 p.m. game. His former teammates greeted him with skates tied together and a cup of water placed inside his helmet. “I’m happy to be back,” Gudas said after practice. “Familiar territory. Excited for the game tomorrow. A lot of memories here.”
The captaincy in Anaheim stood as a career milestone for the veteran defenseman. “It was a tremendous honor being able to speak for the organization or speak for the team or represent them in certain situations,” Gudas said. “It was really one of the greatest honors of my career.” He added: “Hopefully I left some positive nodes behind, and the guys think of me well. They did some pranks on me today before the skate here, so I think I left some nodes here.”
Former Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Alex Killorn, now with Anaheim, described Gudas’ impact on the rebuild. “He was huge. The captain for our group, going through a rebuild,” Killorn said. “We took massive strides under his leadership. Just a great guy. Very well-liked in the locker room and also in the community so we’re excited to see him back.”
Gudas first joined the Panthers as a free agent in 2021 carrying a reputation built on four suspensions totaling 21 days. He cleaned up his record in Florida, serving no suspensions during his first stint, and was part of the team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2022-23. Cap constraints prevented Florida from matching his Anaheim offer when he departed.
The Ducks Gudas faces Sunday are no longer the team the Panthers dominated 9-1-0 from 2019 through 2025. Under coach Joel Quenneville, Anaheim finished third in the Pacific Division last season, upset Edmonton in the first round and pushed Vegas to six games. Rising stars Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson lead the core, with sophomore Beckett Sennecke drawing attention after a strong playoff showing. Troy Terry remains sidelined with an injury. “The whole time here for me was very special,” Gudas said of his Anaheim tenure. “The way that they treated me was something that was close to my heart.”
Sunday’s game at Honda Center tips off at 8 p.m. and airs locally on Scripps Sports - WSFL 39 in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, WHDT 9 in West Palm Beach and LAFF 36.3 in Naples. The Panthers’ next road stop is Tuesday at the Los Angeles Kings at 10 p.m. on ESPN, as reported by Florida Hockey Now.