Utah Mammoth prospect Ludvig Lafton is determined. He’s focused on taking the next step with his game and developing his skills. Some of that work took place at Utah’s development camp this summer.
“You get to feel like how it is to be an NHL player,” Lafton said at development camp. “The staff here is just amazing, and you get so many good drills you can take back, and good feedback that you can take back with you to your daily life and to develop further.”
Following camp, Lafton continued his summer training at the University of Maine, where he will start his college hockey career this fall. The 190th pick in the 2024 Draft played his first season in North America last year with the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL). However, now it’s time for Lafton to face a faster, more physical style of play.
“I’m just trying to play my best hockey,” Lafton explained. “I’m going to college this year so it’s going to be a bit of a step. I just want to take my time, transition into college, and just play my game.
“It’s always more demanding physically and it’s faster,” Lafton also said about college hockey. “The way Maine plays, it’s the right place for me to develop. It’s the (ways) I need to develop, it’s what I need to play there. It’s physical, faster, it’s just all the right stuff for me to develop as a player.”
In addition to helping him develop the skills he needs to on the ice, Lafton felt Maine was the right fit for him when he visited Orono this winter.
“I got a really good vibe from the program to the coaches, to the guys,” Lafton shared. “I visited there in January, and it was just love at first sight and that was the right place for me to go.”
