Top Canadian prospect Patrick Kudla committed to ASU hockey on Sunday and will join the team for the 2017-2018 season.
Proud to announce my commitment for 2017-18 to the @SunDevilHockey. Happy is an under statement!
— Patrick Kudla (@kudla11) November 8, 2015
The 6-foot-3, 174-pound defenseman is widely considered to be a professional talent in the future. The Ontario-area native plays for the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and has tallied 26 points in 16 games, 23 of those being assists.
Kudla is a playmaker who facilitates and sets up his teammates on the power play. This season, the Sun Devils have had success with freshman defenseman Joey Raats, who has racked up points by assisting others.
In the 2014-2015 season with the Guelph Hurricanes of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Kudla tallied 61 points in 48 games.
The commitment is also significant for ASU head coach Greg Powers, who has recruited heavily in the USHL and BCHL in the Midwest, but tapped into an eastern league to get Kudla, who is expected to make an immediate impact.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter
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