Radko Gudas: First line of defense for Florida Panthers

If you go by official accounts, there are 15 members of the Florida Panthers taller than defenseman Radko Gudas.

No one, however, plays bigger.

Gudas, listed at an even 6-foot, may not be the tallest or heaviest player on the ice but as Anthony Duclair said last year: “I definitely like having him as a teammate, and not have to play against him.’’

And Gudas seems to love playing with the Panthers.

Those postgame high-fives and rubber rat shots at the bench from captain Sasha Barkov show that off after each win.

“I am having a great time, we’re doing good and it is fun to be a part of,’ Gudas told Florida Hockey Now. “I am willing to play any role and here, I am trying to use every opportunity I get when I am on the ice. I don’t take a shift for granted.”