George Richards, FHN Publisher
On Friday morning, two days after returning to the Florida Panthers, Radko Gudas met with the local media wearing a popular t-shirt from the hockey clothing company Violent Gentlemen.
Yes, it is a fitting name for a company that Gudas embodies.
And, so did the message on the front of the black shirt.
Nobody Likes Us. We Don’t Care
That about sums up the Florida Panthers, eh?
The Panthers have become the team that only their fans could love, a hard-hitting, drive-you-crazy kind of team which brought Gudas back into the fold this past week not long after reuniting the Tkachuk Brothers with a trade for Brady.
Florida also brought in hard-hitting Garnet Hathaway to a team that features Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and Brad Marchand.
Gudas cannot wait to rejoin his Florida teammates to continue raising havoc and to chase the Stanley Cup championship he missed by a year.
now he’s back in Florida and ready to be part of a Cup-winning team.
“I’m really thrilled to join them again for the ultimate goal,’’ said Gudas, who spent three seasons with the Panthers from 2021-23. “I would love nothing more than to help the guys with the ultimate goal.”
There was a little bit of chatter regarding Gudas returning to the Panthers after three years away with the Anaheim Ducks.
Gudas, 36, was one of the first players signed by Bill Zito after he took over the Panthers in 2020, and he was a big part of the team’s rise through the Eastern Conference from 2021-23 culminating in Florida’s first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1996.
Not long after the Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights, Gudas left for a nice contract in Anaheim — and after his first season, was named captain of the Ducks.
But as a free agent, there were always whispers the Panthers would love to bring him back if they could fit him in.
Last Monday, the Panthers traded the negotiating rights to A.J. Greer for the rights to talk to Gudas.
A deal quickly came together. Gudas was expected to get something in the neighborhood of $3 million per season, so the Panthers gave him $1.5 million — but at six years.
So, Florida’s six-year deal is worth $9 million which is about what Gudas would have received on the open market over three years.
The low average salary allows the Panthers to get Gudas under the salary cap. They’ll worry about the length of the deal later.
Regardless of how it all worked out, Gudas is glad it did.
“I got to meet some great people along the way,’’ Gudas said. “I still think about a lot of the times I spent there. That is one of the reasons why I’m back.
“Seeing their success, seeing them … playing with more mojo and being the team to beat is awesome to see.”
Zito is glad to have Gudas back as well, saying he “fits like a glove.”
Gudas said he got a lot of calls and text messages from his old friends and he and his family are excited to get back to South Florida and pick up where they left off.
“It’s nice to have him back,’’ Zito said. “He might be more valuable to us than to many other teams.”
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
- NHL Free Agency: Opened Wednesday
- Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
- Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Preseason (Four Games): Starts Sept. 20 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA