Luke Tuch (/ˈtʌk/ TUCK (born March 7, 2002) is an American professional ice hockey winger for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Canadiens in the 2020 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

Early years

As a youth, Tuch played in the 2015 iteration of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York.[1][2]

Junior

During the 2017–18 T1EHL season, Tuch registered 12 goals and 15 assists in 36 games for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres under-16 team.[3] He then played two seasons for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) where he recorded 25 goals and 28 assists.[4]

Collegiate

Committed to play college ice hockey for Boston University of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) beginning in the 2020–21 season,[5] Tuch was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2020 NHL entry draft.[6][7]

During his freshman year, he recorded six goals and five assists in 16 games, in a season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, Tuch was named a unanimous selection to the Hockey East conference All-Rookie Team.[8] The following season, he recorded six goals and four assists in 26 games as a sophomore.[2]

In September 2022, Tuch, now a junior, was named an assistant captain ahead of the 2022–23 season.[9] Collectively, he recorded nine goals and 11 assists in 40 games and helped lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2015.[3][10]

Professional

Following BU's overtime defeat to Denver during the 2024 Frozen Four,[11] Tuch concluded his collegiate career and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens on April 16, 2024. He likewise agreed to a standard player contract to join the Laval Rocket, Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for the remainder of the 2023–24 AHL season.[12]

International play

Internationally, Tuch first represented Team USA at the 2018 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he recorded one goal across five games.[13] The following year, he participated in the 2019 Five Nations Cup held in Sweden,[14] winning a gold medal.[15]

On May 4, 2023, Tuch was named to the United States men's national ice hockey team to compete at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.[16] His brother, Alex, was also named to the American roster, marking the first time the brothers played together on the same team.[17][18]

Personal life

Tuch was born to parents Carl and Sharon in Syracuse, New York and grew up in nearby Baldwinsville.[2] He has a fraternal twin sister, Leah, and an older brother, Alex, who is a professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres.[19] The family is of Slovak ancestry.[20]

In August 2022, Tuch, along with his brother, launched the annual Tuch Hockey Camp in their home state of New York, a non-profit endeavor which looks to raise money to support children's cancer research as well as helping those with special needs.[21]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2018–19 U.S. National Development Team USHL 48 10 13 23 83 2 0 0 0 0
2019–20 U.S. National Development Team USHL 47 15 15 30 30 — — — — —
2020–21 Boston University HE 16 6 5 11 12 — — — — —
2021–22 Boston University HE 26 6 4 10 16 — — — — —
2022–23 Boston University HE 40 9 11 20 21 — — — — —
2023–24 Boston University HE 39 10 20 30 10 — — — — —
2023–24 Laval Rocket AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
NCAA totals 121 31 40 71 59 — — — — —

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2018 United States U17 8th 5 1 0 1 8
2023 United States WC 4th 4 1 0 1 2
Junior totals 5 1 0 1 8
Senior totals 4 1 0 1 2

Awards and honors

Award Year Ref
College
Hockey East All-Rookie Team 2021 [22]

References

  1. ^ Columbia, Erik (November 4, 2020). "From CNY to the NHL: The Syracuse Nationals are Training Hockey's Next Stars". Spectrum News. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Luke Tuch - Men's Ice Hockey". Boston University Athletics. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Lenzi, Rachel (April 6, 2023). "How Luke Tuch's path to college hockey wound through Western New York and to the Frozen Four". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  4. ^ Kramer, Lindsay (May 4, 2018). "Alex Tuch's brother following his strides to national team program". The Post-Standard. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Fernandez, Caroline (June 10, 2020). "An interview with Luke Tuch: family rivalry, the draft and his future with the Terriers". The Boston Hockey Blog. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  6. ^ Kramer, Lindsay (October 7, 2020). "Baldwinsville's Luke Tuch goes to Montreal in second round of the NHL draft". The Post-Standard. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  7. ^ Gardner, Brady (October 9, 2020). "Trio of Terriers Selected in 2020 NHL Draft". BU Today. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "Hockey East Names Men's Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team". Hockey East. March 11, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "Commesso, Tuch Named Assistant Captains". Boston University Athletics. September 9, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Brogadir, Josh (April 4, 2023). "Boston University hockey heads to Frozen Four with sixth national title in sight". WCVB-TV. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Moore, Charles (April 11, 2024). "BU Falls 2-1 in Overtime in 2024 NCAA Semifinal". BU Today. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  12. ^ "Two-year, entry-level contract for Luke Tuch". Montreal Canadiens. April 16, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024 – via NHL.com.
  13. ^ Olsen, Becky (November 2, 2018). "Luke Tuch Carving Out His Own Path in Hockey". United States National Team Development Program. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "2019 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team – U.S. Full Roster" (PDF). USA Hockey. August 12, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  15. ^ Olsen, Becky (November 19, 2019). "Luke Tuch Hopes First International Tournament Title Leads to More". United States National Team Development Program. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  16. ^ Pronman, Corey; Gentille, Sean (May 4, 2023). "Team USA announces men's roster for 2023 IIHF World Championship: Who made the cut?". The Athletic. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  17. ^ Lysowski, Lance (April 15, 2023). "Sabres notebook: Alex Tuch and brother, Luke, to play together at world championships". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  18. ^ Bates, Greg (May 11, 2023). "Tuch Brothers Thrilled to Play Together at World Championship". USA Hockey. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  19. ^ Kramer, Lindsay (October 2, 2020). "Luke Tuch ready to skate out of brother's shadow and toward NHL career". The Post-Standard. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  20. ^ "US hockey star has roots in Slovakia". The Slovak Spectator. May 17, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  21. ^ "Luke Tuch helping kids 'get back in the swing of hockey'". Montreal Canadiens. August 22, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via NHL.com.
  22. ^ "Hockey East announces men's all-rookie team, six other awards for 2020-21 college hockey season". US College Hockey Organization. March 11, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Tuch
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