Steve Ludzik

Steve Ludzik
Steve Ludzik
Born	April 3, 1961; 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 Black Hawks; Buffalo Sabres
NHL Draft	28th overall, 1980; Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career	1981–1993

Stephen Paul Ludzik (born April 3, 1961 in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach who has worked as a television analyst for The Score television network.

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 Blackhawks 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 Blackhawks and the American Hockey League's New Brunswick Hawks. The next season, he became a Blackhawk regular.

Ludzik played with the Blackhawks 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 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.

NHL coaching career

Team	Year	Regular season							Post season
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Division rank	Result
TB	1999–2000	82	19	47	9	7	54	4th in Southeast	Missed Playoffs
TB	2000–01	39	12	20	5	2	(59)	5th in Southeast	(fired)
Total		123	31	67	14	9

Broadcasting and publishing

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

Parkinson's disease

Ludzik came public in 2012 that he has been suffering from Parkinson's disease since being diagnosed in 2000.[2]

References

"Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
Cory Smith, QMI Agency. "Former NHLer opens up about battle with Parkinson's". Toronto Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2012.

External links

Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
Official website

Preceded by Jacques Demers	Head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning 1999–2001	Succeeded by John Tortorella

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[1] "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2019.

[Parkinsons-2] Cory Smith, QMI Agency. "Former NHLer opens up about battle with Parkinson's". Toronto Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2012.