The Idaho Steelheads have announced that they’ve re-signed defenseman 2024 ECHL Defenseman of the Year Patrick Kudla for the 2024-25 season. In 60 games last season, Kudla put up 10 goals and 50 assists for 60 points; he would add three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 10 games during the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. He finished third in assists and four in points among ECHL defensemen during the 2023-24 season and would also be named to the ECHL All-First Team. Kudla would play in a total of six AHL games last season with the Syracuse Crunch and Calgary Wranglers. The 28-year-old defenseman would put up eight goals and 42 assists for 50 points in 59 games during his rookie season with the Steelheads; he would also play in four total AHL games with the Colorado Eagles and Tuscon Roadrunners.
Prior to going pro, the former sixth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes would spend a year in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, where he put up eight goals and 30 assists for 38 points in 58 games before spending a year at the University of Guelph where he put up a goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 20 games. The Guelph, Ontario native would spend the first four years of his professional career overseas, two years in Slovakia and two years in Czechia, before coming to North America to play in the ECHL.
This is a massive re-signing for the Steelheads as they look to assemble another strong blueline heading into next season. Kudla is the second defensive signing for the Steelheads after the team acquired Stanislav Demin from the Fort Wayne Komets and signed him to a contract last week.
