Defenseman John Ludvig has signed a contract with Czechia's HC Dynamo Pardubice, the team announced Wednesday.
Ludvig recorded two assists in eight games with the Colorado Avalanche and 12 points in 31 games with the Colorado Eagles last season.
The 24-year-old appeared in 33 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and has seven points in 41 career NHL games. He has six goals and 37 points in 105 career AHL games with the Eagles, Syracuse Crunch, Charlotte Checkers, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Originally a third round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2019, Ludvig was claimed off waivers by the Penguins prior to the 2023-24 season and by the Avalanche prior to the 2024-25 season. He was not issued a qualifying offer by Colorado this off-season.
𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐆 🫵🏻 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 pic.twitter.com/iOdFJA8xH0
— HC DYNAMO PARDUBICE (@HCPCE) July 23, 2025
This is a somewhat surprising move for the young defender given his NHL experience over the past two seasons but he will play a significant role in Pardubice where his father, seven-year NHL veteran Jan Ludvig, currently serves as a skills coach.
Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.
Photo Credit: © Steve Roberts-Imagn Images