Steve Ludzik

Steve Ludzik
Born (1961-04-03) April 3, 1961 (age 63)
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Chicago Blackhawks
Buffalo Sabres
EK Zell am See
NHL draft 28th overall, 1980
Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career 1981–1993

Stephen Paul Ludzik (born April 3, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach who has worked as a television analyst for The Score television network. He played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres between 1981 and 1990. He later coached the Tampa Bay Lightning between 1999 and 2001, and also spent several years coaching in the minor leagues.

Biography

As a youth, Ludzik played in the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Toronto.[1]

He had a distinguished junior career with the Niagara Falls Flyers of the Ontario Hockey League, amassing 125 goals and 233 assists, for a total of 358 points. This broke the career point total record for the Flyers, which still stands today. He was subsequently named to the Flyers' All-Time Five Man All-Star Team.

He was drafted 28th overall by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. After one more year of junior hockey, Ludzik turned pro in 1981–82. He split that season between the Black Hawks and the American Hockey League's New Brunswick Hawks. The next season, he became a Black Hawk regular.

Ludzik played with the Black Hawks until the 1988–89 season. Except for 11 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 1989–90, he spent the rest of his playing career in the minors. He played in a total of 424 NHL games and scored 46 goals and 93 assists.

Coaching

After retiring as a player, Ludzik turned to coaching, starting in the IHL with the Muskegon Fury and then the Detroit Vipers, where he won the 1996–97 Turner Cup with General Manager Rick Dudley. He then spent two years as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but was let go after the 2000–01 season. He subsequently went to the OHL as head coach of the Mississauga IceDogs, and then to the AHL, where he ended his coaching career in 2004–05 with the San Antonio Rampage.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1977–78 Markham Waxers OJPHL 31 30 20 50 15 — — — — —
1978–79 Niagara Falls Flyers OMJHL 68 32 65 97 138 20 7 17 24 48
1979–80 Niagara Falls Flyers OMJHL 67 43 76 119 102 10 6 6 12 16
1980–81 Niagara Falls Flyers OHL 58 50 92 142 108 12 5 9 14 40
1981–82 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 8 2 1 3 2 — — — — —
1981–82 New Brunswick Hawks AHL 73 21 41 62 142 15 3 7 10 6
1982–83 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 66 6 19 25 63 13 3 5 8 20
1983–84 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 80 9 20 29 73 4 0 1 1 9
1984–85 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 79 11 20 31 86 15 1 1 2 16
1985–86 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 49 6 5 11 21 3 0 0 0 12
1986–87 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 52 5 12 17 34 4 0 0 0 0
1987–88 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 73 6 15 21 40 5 0 1 1 13
1988–89 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 6 1 0 1 8 — — — — —
1988–89 Saginaw Hawks IHL 65 21 57 78 129 6 0 1 1 16
1989–90 Buffalo Sabres NHL 11 0 1 1 6 — — — — —
1989–90 Rochester Americans AHL 54 25 29 54 71 16 5 6 11 57
1990–91 Rochester Americans AHL 65 22 29 51 137 8 3 5 8 6
1991–92 Rochester Americans AHL 45 6 22 28 88 14 2 1 3 8
1992–93 EK Zell am See AUT 51 17 36 53 64 — — — — —
NHL totals 424 46 93 139 333 44 4 8 12 70

NHL coaching career

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T OTL Pts Division rank Result
Tampa Bay Lightning 1999–00 82 19 47 9 7 54 4th in Southeast Missed Playoffs
Tampa Bay Lightning 2000–01 39 12 20 5 2 29 5th in Southeast fired
Total 123 31 67 14 9

Other leagues

Team Year League Regular season Postseason
G W L T OTL Pts Finish W L Win% Result
Muskegon Fury 1993–94 CoHL 64 35 24 5 — 75 2nd in West 0 3 .000 Lost in Quarterfinals
Muskegon Fury 1994–95 CoHL 74 42 27 5 — 89 2nd in West 10 6 .625 Lost in Colonial Cup Final
Detroit Vipers 1996–97 IHL 82 57 17 — 8 122 1st in North 15 6 .714 Won Turner Cup
Detroit Vipers 1997–98 IHL 82 47 20 — 15 109 1st in Northeast 14 9 .609 Lost in Turner Cup Final
Detroit Vipers 1998–99 IHL 82 50 21 — 11 111 1st in Northeast 6 5 .545 Lost in Semifinals
Mississauga IceDogs 2002–03 OHL 68 23 31 11 3 60 4th in Central 1 4 .200 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
San Antonio Rampage 2003–04 AHL 12 8 3 1 — 17 Named Florida Panthers assistant coach — — — —
San Antonio Rampage 2004–05 AHL 80 27 45 — 8 62 6th in West — — — Missed playoffs

Broadcasting and publishing

Since coaching, Ludzik has been a hockey pundit on television, most notably on The Score Television Network. He also co-authored a book, entitled "Been There, Done That".

Parkinson's disease

Ludzik came public in 2012 that he has Parkinson's disease and was diagnosed in 2000.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Cory Smith, QMI Agency. "Former NHLer opens up about battle with Parkinson's". Toronto Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
Preceded by Head coach of the Muskegon Fury
1993–95 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Detroit Vipers
1996–99 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning
1999–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Mississauga IceDogs
2002–03 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Scott Allen
Scott Allen
 Head coach of the San Antonio Rampage
2003
2004–05 		Succeeded by
Scott Allen
Pat Conacher