FORT LAUDERDALE — Defenseman Radko Gudas cemented his return to South Florida this week, signing a six-year contract extension with the Florida Panthers after the team acquired his rights in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks prior to free agency.
The 36-year-old Czechia native previously played three seasons with the Panthers, from 2020-21 to 2022-23, tallying 44 points, 917 hits and a plus-47 plus/minus rating in 203 games. He helped the club win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 and reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2023 before departing as a free agent.
“For people who’ve had the honor of being around Radko and seen him and the way he interacted with this team and the type of person that he is and the type of person that he was here, you understand that it fits like a glove,” Panthers General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Bill Zito said. “It’s nice to have him back. … He might be more valuable to us than to many other teams. … I think people missed him. They’re happy to have their friend back as well as a teammate and warrior.”
Gudas, who served as captain of the Ducks for two campaigns, logged 13 points and 164 hits in 56 games during his final season in Anaheim. Preparing for his 15th NHL season, he currently leads the league’s all-time leaderboard with 3,135 hits since his debut in 2013-14.
Speaking to media via Zoom on Friday, Gudas said the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025 — titles won after his departure — made the return personal. “When I left, I felt like I hadn’t finished my work down there,” Gudas said. “The boys won the Cup two times. It was awesome to see them win and have success, but in the corner [of my mind] I wish I could’ve been there to help them.”
Gudas credited head coach Paul Maurice as a factor in his decision. “He is probably one of the reasons we decided to come back as well,” Gudas said. “He’s a hockey mind that I really enjoyed playing for. The word he can say to the locker room and the way he handles the team is something I really enjoyed.”
The veteran said he has already heard from a long list of current Panthers, including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. Asked what he plans to bring in his second stint, Gudas was direct: “I’m just going to try and be in the best possible condition I can be, play my role and make sure that I bring some more fire into the battle.”
The Panthers play an 84-game regular season schedule, and Gudas said he intends to match the standard the club has set. “Florida is the team that plays the right way from start to finish, from Game 1 of the year to Game 84 now of the season,” he said. Training camp dates have not yet been announced.