The Seattle Thunderbirds announced the signing of 2004-born forward Gabe Ludwig out of the Pittsburgh Penguins U15 Elite team.
Ludwig made his way to Pittsburgh as an Alaska native, playing with the Anchorage North Stars 14U team before joining the Penguins this past season. There, he had eight goals and 24 assists in 56 games.
We had Ludwig ranked No. 79 in our Top 250 2004-born U.S. Prospects list.
“Ludwig plays with high energy the moment the puck is dropped and uses his speed to back defenders deep into their own zone,” said NZ scouts. “He is shifty and not afraid to make spin moves in tight to get his shot off.”
Seattle took Ludwig in the second round of the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, and he fell to them out of some concerns he might go the NCAA route. But, he took the year to hash out his options and chose the Thunderbirds.
“I wanted to take the year to think about it,” he told 710 ESPN in Seattle. “There’s a lot that goes into it and a lot of thinking on it because it’s obviously a big decision that can impact you for the next five or ten years. I wanted to be patient with it and make the right decision.
“The main thing was the development. I think (Seattle) is going to be the best place for me to develop and help me move on in my hockey career. The organization and staff are such great people and those are the type of people I want to surround myself with…I just fell in love with Seattle.”
’03 D Ryan McCleary to the Portland Winterhawks
Portland added a promising defenseman in McCleary, a native of Swift Current who had 23 points in 44 games for the Swift Current Legionnaires in the SMHL this past season. He also played midget hockey for the Swift Current Hurricanes and bantams with the Swift Current Broncos AA teams.
“Plays with quick feet, lots of energy and a nice low stride with good knee bend and a good top end speed,” said NZ scouts. “He makes the simple, smart, and safe plays with the puck in his own end. While he doesn’t play with a ton of deception, and doesn’t like to carry the puck for long, he is a reliable defender, who works hard every shift, and a consistent presence on the ice in big situations for his team.”
With the Legionnaires this past season, McCleary was named a team captain despite being a rookie.
McCleary was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft (107th overall) by the Winterhawks. He’ll be eligible to play with the team this season as a 16-year-old.
