Enough time has passed that anyone who follows the Toronto Maple Leafs has likely seen what has been regularly referred to as 'The Photo'.
As he prepares to play his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs since he departed the Florida Panthers in the offseason, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas has already done the rounds on TV shows and radio interviews about his celebratory photo of him standing over Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll in the Panther's Game 5 victory that delimited Toronto from the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
It was no different on Saturday when Gudas stepped onto the ice at Scotiabank Arena for the first time since that day.
"I've been looking forward to this night," he said.
It was no surprise that Gudas was again asked about that moment in May.
"People here still can’t sleep over it," Gudas said. " It’s one of those moments that happen in a second."
Gudas missed his first chance to take on the Maple Leafs on Jan. 3 when he was out with an illness when Toronto traveled to the Honda Center. He did acknowledge that he exchanged words with Woll during the handshake line after the incident and that it was just in the heat of the moment.
Some of the Maple Leafs who were a part of that loss were not in a reflective mood.
"This is so long (ago) I'm not talking about this," Mitch Marner said.
Following the Leafs loss, the Maple Leafs brought in a new general manager in Brad Treliving. He added players who bring in "piss and vinegar" to the club. One of those players is Ryan Reaves, who made headlines during the Maple Leafs' annual golf tournament in September when he said he'd like to see players like Gudas try that again now that he's here.
Reaves is hoping that the club will be motivated with Gudas in the lineup.
"It's not like anyone's going to be chasing him around the ice, but I'll have my eye on him for sure," Reaves said. "He's going to play his game like he always does and we're going to play ours."
Reaves was a healthy scratch in Toronto's 4-3 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers, but comes into Saturday's game as Maple Leafs captain John Tavares will miss the contest with a minor injury.
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