Radko Gudas’ Panthers return ‘almost feels surreal.’ His Stanley Cup chase begins

Florida Panthers admin September 30, 2026 0 Comments

Radko Gudas’ Panthers return ‘almost feels surreal.’ His Stanley Cup chase begins

It was a sight that had not been seen for a few at a Florida Panthers game.

There was defenseman Radko Gudas, waiting for Aleksander Barkov by the bench, eager to give his captain a high-five after the team’s preseason win on Sept. 20 — Gudas’ first game back with Florida following a three-season stint with the Anaheim Ducks.

But before Gudas could extend his hand in the air, Barkov fired a puck at Gudas’ legs, similar to how the team has celebrated at the end of games the past season and a half with Brad Marchand, combining old traditions and new.

“It was great,” Gudas said. “I’m gonna have to talk with Marchy about his spot, but so far he’s on IR, so I’ll take that spot for now.”

Gudas, 36 and entering his 15th NHL season, is known for many things around the NHL. His physicality. His tenacity. His beard.

“I love that beard,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

But beyond the physically imposing traits — defenseman Niko Mikkola said he hopes Gudas brings “fear” to opponents on any given night — there’s something else about Gudas’ return that has the Panthers excited.

Gudas was one of Bill Zito’s first acquisitions after taking over the Panthers’ front office. The defenseman has long been credited by nearly everyone who was with the team at any point during Gudas’ first three seasons with the team as a player who helped create the foundation for what this Panthers team has ultimately become: a perennial Stanley Cup contender.

But Gudas never saw the team reach the mountaintop. His final season with Florida was 2022-23, which ended with the Panthers falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Cup Final. He went to Anaheim, signing a three-year, $12 million deal. Florida won the Cup in 2024 and 2025 before missing the postseason altogether last season.

“Once I left, I felt like personally I haven’t finished my work down there,” Gudas said. “The boys won the Cup two times, and it was awesome to see them win and to see them have success. But in the corner [of my mind], it was also like, ‘I wish I could have been there as well.’”

He’s back now, signing a six-year deal with Florida on July 1. He was set to be on Florida’s third defense pair with Dmitry Kulikov — a duo that has more than 1,900 combined games of NHL experience — when the Panthers open the season on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

“For people who had the honor of being around Radko, seeing him and the way he interacted with this team and the type of person that he is and the type of teammate that he was here, you get the feeling. You understand,” Zito said. “He fits like a glove, and it’s just nice to have him back.”

Added Gudas: “It almost feels surreal. I’m just trying to work my hardest and be the best version of myself every time I’m at the arena. I try to give the guys what I’m getting from them. I’m just a product of my environment around here, so I’m really happy that the guys feel like that. I can’t say I feel any different. It was three unbelievable years for me, personally and hockey-wise.”

During his three seasons with Florida, Gudas produced 44 points (seven goals, 37 assists) in 203 regular-season games plus seven more points across 37 postseason contests. He also racked up 1,092 hits (917 in the regular season, 175 in the playoffs).

But he also served as a mentor for younger defensemen like Gustav Forsling, who has since become one of the league’s premier defensemen.

“He’s such a veteran,” Forsling said. “He’s been through it all. I mean, he’s a warrior. Just the way he competes out there, he gives it 100% every time.”

And he forms the final piece of a veteran-laden defense corps.

Forsling and Aaron Ekblad are once again the top tandem, followed by the duo of Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones that was one of the better duos in the league when both were healthy. Gudas and Kulikov round out the lineup, with Uvis Balinskis set to serve as Florida’s No. 7 defenseman.

“It’s almost scary,” Gudas said of Florida’s defenseman depth. “That many players pushing is just a sign of a team that’s going for all of it.”

That’s why Gudas wanted to be back. That’s why Florida wanted Gudas back. One year removed from winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, they’re going for it all once again.

“I waited for this for a long time,” Gudas said. “Just putting the jersey on again — it’s big pride. We are all pulling for something special here. So just knowing that and knowing what they all put in the summer and past few years, and the success what this organization had and what it all means — it’s a privilege to be able to put the jersey on again, and I can’t wait to wear it again.”

Hopefully, plenty the postgame high-fives will follow.

This story was originally published September 29, 2026 at 11:19 AM.