About Radko Gudas
Radko Gudas (born 5 June 1990) is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and the Anaheim Ducks, serving as the Ducks' captain from 2024 to 2026. The son of Leo Gudas, who competed for Czechoslovakia at the 1992 Winter Olympics, Gudas was raised in Kladno, and played for HC Rabat Kladno. He moved to North America in 2009, spending one season with the Everett Silvertips of the major junior Western Hockey League before the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him 66th overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft. Internationally Gudas played for the Czech Republic national junior team at two World Junior Championships and for the senior team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He won a gold medal with the Czechs at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. == Playing career == === Junior === Gudas played in the Czech Extraliga with HC Kladno during the 2008–09 season. Gudas was selected by the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the first round of the CHL Import Draft with the 20th pick. After going undrafted in the 2009 NHL entry draft, Gudas was invited to the Los Angeles Kings training camp that year but was not offered a contract; Gudas was ineligible to be signed as an undrafted free agent with remaining draft eligibility since he had yet to play a complete draft season in North America. He then joined the Silvertips that fall.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.