John Ludvig

John Ludvig (born August 2, 2000) is a Czech-Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman for HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga (ELH).

Early life Ludvig was born on August 2, 2000, in Liberec, Czech Republic, to parents Jan and Charell. Ludvig was born into an athletic family; his father Jan played for the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League. His sister Katie plays collegiate volleyball. As a result of his father's hockey background, Ludvig trained under his guidance in his backyard with weights, tires, and sledgehammers. Due to his training and offensive growth, Ludvig was placed on the Portland Winterhawks protected list at the age of 16. He was eventually drafted in 69th overall by the Florida Panthers on June 22, 2019, but was among the last of his family to find out due to the numerous messages and phone calls spamming his phone. Following the draft, he was invited to their Development Camp. Upon returning to the Winterhawks for the 2019–20 season, Ludvig was named the Winterhawks' 44th captain in team history. During his final season with the Winterhawks, Ludvig recorded 17 goals, fourth best among WHL defensemen, and 45 assists in 60 games He was also credited by the Panthers for his physicality and penalty killing skills, along with success on the power play. Ludvig concluded his major junior career by signing an entry-level contract with the Panthers on March 30, 2020. While sports were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ludvig and his sister worked out together around five days a week with a trainer, including cardio sessions on the weekends. Upon returning the Crunch for the 2020–21 season, Ludvig led all team defencemen in scoring with two goals and eight points in 13 games. He recorded his first professional goal, the game-winner, on March 1 against the Rochester Americans. On July 17, 2023, he signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers. Later in the year, on October 9, 2023, he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. On October 24, Ludvig made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4–1 loss against the Dallas Stars. Remaining with Pittsburgh for the majority of the season, Ludvig was primarily used in a depth role as the team's seventh defenseman. On February 14, 2024, Ludvig scored his first NHL goal in a home loss against former draft club, the Florida Panthers. With the Penguins missing the post-season for the second year in a row, he finished with 3 goals and 5 points through 33 regular season appearances.

Approaching the season, Ludvig for the second consecutive season was placed on waivers during pre-season and left the Penguins after he was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche on October 5, 2024.

Leaving the Avalanche at the conclusion of his contract, Ludvig as a free agent opted to pursue a career in his birthplace in the Czech Republic, signing a three-year contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice of the ELH on July 23, 2025. By signing with Dynamo he joined his father Jan, employed as the teams skills coach.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2016–17 Kamloops Storm KIJHL 17 5 10 15 67 11 1 7 8 20 2017–18 Portland Winterhawks WHL 51 2 5 7 43 11 1 2 3 21 2018–19 Portland Winterhawks WHL 58 5 13 18 77 3 0 1 1 7 2019–20 Portland Winterhawks WHL 60 17 45 62 57 — — — — — 2020–21 Syracuse Crunch AHL 13 2 6 8 13 — — — — — 2021–22 Charlotte Checkers AHL 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2022–23 Charlotte Checkers AHL 54 3 14 17 72 7 0 2 2 4 2023–24 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 33 3 2 5 47 — — — — — 2023–24 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2024–25 Colorado Avalanche NHL 8 0 2 2 6 — — — — — 2024–25 Colorado Eagles AHL 31 1 11 12 20 9 2 2 4 10 2025–26 HC Dynamo Pardubice ELH 44 3 10 13 93 16 1 6 7 8NHL totals 41 3 4 7 53 — — — — —ELH totals 44 3 10 13 93 16 1 6 7 8

Awards and honours Award YearRefWHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team 2020