Stars Alums Ludtke, Mittelstadt Selected in 2023 NHL Draft
Published on June 29, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
Two former Lincoln Stars players were selected in the NHL Draft on Thursday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Forward Tanner Ludtke was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round with the 81st pick. The Montreal Canadiens chose defenseman Luke Mittelstadt with the 197th overall pick in the seventh round.
Ludtke, 18, played in 81 regular-season games in addition to 12 postseason games for the Stars over the previous two seasons. He led the 2022-23 Stars with 32 goals and finished second on the team with 66 points. Ludtke's 12 power-play goals also led the Stars and were tied for fourth-most in the USHL.
The Elko, Minn. native competed in the BioSteel All-American Game on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at USA Hockey Arena. Ludtke's participation was recognition of his place as one of the top American NHL Draft-eligible players. He also was ranked as the 53rd highest North American skater on NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings in April.
Ludtke, committed to play at Nebraska-Omaha, was part of USA Hockey's gold-medal team at the World Junior A Challenge. He scored a goal in the semifinals against Sweden and added an assist on the game-winning goal in the Championship Game against Canada East in December.
Mittelstadt, 20, appeared in 12 games with the Stars in the 2020-21 season, scoring two goals and adding an assist. The Eden Prairie, Minn. native played in 60 games with the Madison Capitols in 2021-22 and recorded 55 points (19+36). Mittelstadt skated in 30 games for the University of Minnesota this past season and recorded 21 points (5+16) in their national championship runner-up finish. Mittelstadt was ranked as the 97th highest skater on NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings.
Ludtke and Mittelstadt give the Stars 63 NHL Draft picks in franchise history, the fourth-highest total in the USHL.
The 2023-24 Lincoln Stars season begins in late September with to-be-announced DICK'S Sporting Goods Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pa. The Stars' first home game is Oct. 7 in the first-of-two games that weekend with the Madison Capitols. Cross-conference play returns in 2023-24 with the Stars playing 14 games against Eastern Conference foes. The preseason schedule will be announced at a later date.
United States Hockey League Stories from June 29, 2023
- 2023 NHL Draft Recap - Fargo Force
- Stars Alums Ludtke, Mittelstadt Selected in 2023 NHL Draft - Lincoln Stars
- Thirteen Players Selected from National Team Development Program in 2023 NHL Draft - U.S. National Team
- Program Record Tying Six Stampede Players Drafted in 2023 NHL Entry Draft - Sioux Falls Stampede
- 51 USHL Players Selected in the 2023 National Hockey League Draft - USHL
- Three Lumberjacks Selected in 2023 NHL Entry Draft - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Chase Cheslock Drafted in 5th Round by the New Jersey Devils - Omaha Lancers
- Sharks Come Calling Klee - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Pionk Proves his Ability - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Michael Hrabal Drafted in 2nd Round by Arizona Coyotes - Omaha Lancers
- Multiple Players with Capitols Ties Prepare for NHL Draft - Madison Capitols
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
