AHL San Antonio Rampage

Coach Ludzik Called Up to Florida Panthers

Published on November 10, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
San Antonio Rampage News Release


Florida Panthers General Manager and Head Coach Rick Dudley announced today that Steve Ludzik has been named as the club's new assistant coach, replacing Mike Pelino, who was relieved of his coaching duties this morning.

Ludzik, 42, joins the Panthers after guiding the Florida's AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, to an 8-3-1-0 mark through the first 12 games of the season. He will be behind the bench with Dudley and former Rampage Head Coach John Torchetti, when the Cats battle their intrastate rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night.

"We want this club to reach its optimal level as quickly as possible," Dudley said. "We have John already in place and with Steve, we add another brilliant hockey mind, that I feel will help to expedite this process."

The Toronto, Ontario native spent the 2002-03 campaign as the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Mississauga IceDogs. Under his tutelage, the IceDogs won 23 games and advanced to the playoffs for the first time in their five-year franchise history. Mississauga had won only 27 of 272 games in its first four years of existence.

Prior to joining the IceDogs, he spent a season and a half as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning (1999-2001) where he worked with both Dudley and Torchetti. Ludzik's resume also includes a three-year stint as head coach with the International Hockey League's Detroit Vipers. He guided Detroit to the 1997 Turner Cup Championship. Ludzik began his coaching career at the helm of the Colonial Hockey League's Muskegon Fury. In just his second year behind the bench with the Fury, Ludzik was honored as the league's Coach of the Year, after leading Muskegon to a 42-27-5 mark and .601 winning percentage.

A second-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks (28th overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Ludzik played in 424 NHL games with Chicago and the Buffalo Sabres, scoring 46 goals and 93 assists for 139 points. His AHL playing experience includes 237 games with the New Brunswick Hawks and Rochester Americans. He captured a Calder Cup Championship while playing with the Hawks during the 1981-82 campaign.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 10, 2003


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