On Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks named defenseman Radko Gudas their new captain – he is the ninth captain in franchise history. Gudas joined the Ducks in free agency on a three-year contract worth $4 million per season and is now entering the second season of that deal. As the Ducks continue their rebuild, he is among the oldest on their roster and will look to help guide their young team to the promised land.
Gudas takes over for the previous captain, Ryan Getzlaf, who was captain of the Ducks from the 2010-11 season until the 2021-22 season. The Ducks went two straight seasons with no captain before making this change.
Radko Gudas is officially the new captain in Anaheim! 🦆
— NHL (@NHL) September 19, 2024
(📸: @AnaheimDucks) pic.twitter.com/oDQskh0jhH
Gudas was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at 66th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning after a strong showing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Everett Silvertips. In his draft year, he scored seven goals and added 30 assists for 37 points through 65 games. He transitioned to the American Hockey League (AHL) the following season with the Norfolk Admirals and didn’t make his full-time jump to the NHL until the 2013-14 season.
Over parts of 12 seasons split between five different teams, Gudas has played 748 games, scoring 39 goals and 143 assists, which comes out to a 0.24 points-per-game average. He has built a reputation as a physical, shut-down defender who can play top-four minutes on any given night. The Ducks’ pre-season gets going on Tuesday (Sept. 24) against the San Jose Sharks, while their regular season gets underway on Oct. 12 against the Sharks.
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