This former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman is officially now an NHL captain.
Former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas has been named the newest captain of the Anaheim Ducks.
Gudas is now the ninth captain in Ducks history and the first player to wear the 'C' in Anaheim since Ducks legend Ryan Getzlaf.
Seeing Gudas get the 'C' in Anaheim is not particularly surprising. After signing a three-year, $12 million contract with the Ducks last offseason, he immediately became a prominent leader in their locker room. As a result, he will now be their captain as they continue with their rebuild.
Gudas, 34, is coming off a solid season with the Ducks, posting six goals, 18 points, and a plus-14 rating in 66 games. In addition, he maintained his extremely physical style of play, recording 128 penalty minutes and 232 hits on the year.
The Lightning selected Gudas with the 66th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In 126 games as a Bolt, the right-shot defender had seven goals, 32 points, 475 hits, and 224 penalty minutes.
It will now be fascinating to see how much of an impact Gudas can make as the Ducks' captain from here.