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Long before Griffin Ludtke ever wore a letter on his chest, before the crowds at Baxter Arena knew his name, before he even dreamed of captaining a Division I program, the foundation of his hockey story was simple: a Minnesota winter, a shoveled-off pond and a family that lived for the game.
“Growing up on a golf course, there were always ponds around,” Ludtke said. “We’d just go shovel them off and skate. My parents both played in high school, so hockey was just what we did.”
In Minnesota, hockey is less of a sport and more of a second language. For Ludtke, it became the soundtrack of childhood, especially in a household divided by one of the NHL’s most iconic rivalries.
“I loved the Penguins and Sidney Crosby, so he was all over the walls in my room,” he said. “My brother Tanner was obsessed with [Alex] Ovechkin. His room was all Capital[s]; mine was all Penguins. When we go home, our rooms still look the exact same.”
Even then, big dreams were forming.
“In Minnesota, the first dream isn’t even college hockey,” he said. “It’s making varsity. Guys from my high school went D-I to Minnesota, Duluth, Cornell and Wisconsin. When you see that path, you think, ‘Okay, maybe I can do it, too.’”
The moment it became real came after his freshman year during Tier 1 high-performance camps. He played well, coaches noticed and suddenly, college interest followed.
Finding Omaha by chance
Ludtke arrived at a USHL Omaha Lancers camp a full year before he was even eligible for the draft, essentially just for experience. He played well enough to catch the attention of Omaha coaches Mike Gabinet and Dave Noel-Bernier, who weren’t even scouting him specifically.
“They ended up liking how I was playing,” he said. “They brought me and my best friend for a visit, and that was the first time I met them.”
He was 15 years old when he committed, a massive decision for someone who couldn’t even drive himself to practice.
“I’m really lucky it worked out the way it did,” he said. “I still love it here, and they still want me here. Not everyone gets that.”
Baxter Arena left its mark. So did the coaching staff, especially assistant coach Paul Gerrard, who passed away during his freshman year.
“Knowing I was going to play for him meant a lot,” Ludtke said. “He had a big influence on why I committed.”
Moments that stay with you
Ludtke’s first collegiate game didn’t come easy. An early injury cost him the first eight games of his freshman season, but fate delivered a memorable debut: a road game at Minnesota Duluth, a program he had admired growing up.
“Starting my college career there was super special,” he said.
But perhaps nothing compares to the weekend when he finally played college hockey alongside his brother Tanner. In their first series together, against Niagara, Tanner scored, assisted and took a penalty in his first three shifts.
“It was hilarious,” Griffin said, laughing. “Like, ‘here we go. This guy’s gonna have a big college career.’”
Griffin scored his first goal the next night and their family soaked in every second.
There were bigger team moments too, like Omaha’s emotional win over North Dakota at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
“That was a special one,” he said. “One we hadn’t done before.”
There were also bittersweet memories, like last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance against Minnesota.
“We didn’t play our best, and that still sticks with you,” he said. “It makes you want to get back.”
The weight and privilege of the “C”
This past summer, Ludtke walked into Baxter Arena for what he thought was a casual visit while he was in town for the College World Series. Coach Gabinet had other plans.
“He told me in person I’d be a co-captain,” he said. “It meant a lot. I met him when I was 15. He’s seen me grow from a kid into a young man.”
He joins a line of captains he admired deeply: Nolan Sullivan, Nolan Krenzen and now shares the role with longtime teammate Simon Latkoczy.
“As a freshman, you think captains walk on water,” he said. “Now you see the other side. There’s pressure, logistics, planning and making sure guys feel supported. But it’s a privilege.”
The biggest growth, he said, came in learning when to lead and when to lean on others.
“If you take on too much, it’s hard to show up and play your best,” he said. “Delegating, communicating, that’s all part of it.”
What it means to be a Maverick
Ask Ludtke what defines Omaha hockey and he doesn’t hesitate.
“Work ethic and how you treat people,” he said. “Skill levels vary, strengths vary, but everyone recruited here is a high-character guy. They work hard, and they’re good teammates.”
It’s a culture he believes lifts the entire group and makes his job easier.
“You can’t be passive here,” Ludtke said. “You show up when nobody’s watching. You take care of business. That’s being a Maverick.”
Looking forward
With graduation approaching, Ludtke isn’t ready for his hockey story to end.
“I want to keep playing as long as I can, at the highest level I can,” he said. “If team goals happen, individual goals follow.”
He also carries career aspirations beyond the rink. A finance major, Ludtke’s drawn to leadership roles, communication-based work and anything involving teams and people.
“Not a black-and-white answer,” he said, “but I want to do something that makes sense and that I enjoy.”
Someday, he hopes to build a family of his own, one that mirrors the warmth and support of the one that raised him. From pond hockey in Minnesota to captaining the Mavericks in his senior season, Ludtke’s journey hasn’t been flashy. It’s been steady, grounded and full of purpose and the kind of story that is built on community, character and the quiet work done when nobody’s watching.
As Ludtke’s final season unfolds, he skates with the same sense of joy and gratitude he had as a kid shoveling off a frozen pond.
“Being here seven years after committing at 15,” he said, “it’s pretty special. I love this place, and I’m thankful every day I get to wear this jersey.”