The next captain of the Anaheim Ducks is Radko Gudas.
The team announced Thursday, the day training camp for the 2024-25 season begins, that Gudas, 34, will wear the “C” in Anaheim, becoming the ninth captain in franchise history.
The next Ducks captain will have big shoes to fill
He will be the first player to captain the Ducks since Ryan Getzlaf retired. Getzlaf was the longest-tenured captain in team history, wearing the “C” for 12 years from 2010-11 through 2021-22.
Gudas joins a list of Ducks captains that also includes Troy Loney, Randy Ladouceur, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Steve Rucchin, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Getzlaf.
Gudas signed a three-year, $12 million contract on July 1, 2023. His impact on the ice and in the locker room was felt immediately, impacting the entire organization and fans.
Gudas was selected in the third round (66th overall in 2010) by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before signing with the Ducks, Gudas played 682 NHL games for the Lighting, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers.
He played on teams with future Hall of Fame captains such as Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux, Alexander Ovechkin and Aleksander Barkov.
Both Ducks head coach Greg Cronin and general manager Pat Verbeek indicated they would like to name a captain before the 2024-25 season.
“I think we need a captain (next season),” Cronin said during his exit interview in April. “We need to find a leadership group that can hold teammates accountable.”
“It’s definitely something that we’re actively investigating and discussing now,” Verbeek said during his exit interview. “Over the past two years, I think I’ve gotten a really good picture of how the chamber works and who the voices are.”
It seems the organization has found its voice and hopes this will help the team out of its long rebuilding period and begin its climb to the title.
Gudas will enter his 12th season as a full-time defenseman in the NHL in 2024-25.
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