Ben Youds Explained

Ben Youds
Birth Date:20 April 1988
Birth Place:Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, U.S.
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:180
Position:Defense
Shoots:Right
League:SHL
Team:IK Oskarshamn
Former Teams:Providence Bruins
Lake Erie Monsters
Leksands IF
Växjö Lakers
Rögle BK
Rockford IceHogs
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2011

Ben Youds (born April 20, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing with IK Oskarshamn in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

Playing career

Youds attended Minnesota State University, Mankato where he played NCAA college hockey with the Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey team. Undrafted on September 1, 2011, Younds signed his first professional contract with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League for the 2011–12 season.[1]

After a successful first season with the Providence Bruins in the 2013–14 season, in which Youds established career highs of 20 points in 57 games, he was invited to the Boston Bruins 2014 training camp on September 18, 2014.[2]

Youds was reassigned to Providence on September 26, a signed an AHL contract with the club for the 2014–15 season. Establishing a regular position on the Providence blueline, Youds had already eclipsed his career highs in goals and points before he was traded in consideration of an NHL transaction, to the Lake Erie Monsters on March 2, 2015. Youds closed out the season with the Monsters, immediately contributing with 3 goals and 11 points in 18 games.

As an un-signed free agent, on September 16, 2015, Youds was signed to a professional try-out contract to attend training camp in a return to the Boston Bruins organization.[3] He was later signed to a one-year AHL contract with Providence.

Upon completing his fifth North American season, Youds opted to pursue a European career in signing a one-year deal with Swedish club, Leksands IF of the SHL on May 23, 2016.[4] In his lone season with Leksands in 2016–17, Youds established himself in a top-four role and contributed with 4 goals and 17 points in 44 games, however was unable to prevent Leksands from relegation.

In early July 2017, he inked a one-year contract with fellow SHL side Växjö Lakers.[5] He appeared in 8 games with the Lakers to begin the 2017–18 season, however through limited playing time he opted to leave the club and join fellow SHL club, Rögle BK, on November 25, 2017.[6] In an expanded role with BK, Youds featured in 32 games and contributed with 16 points, earning a one-year extension.

In the following 2018–19 season, Youds was limited to just 12 games with Rögle BK through injury. He left the club at the conclusion of his contract with club at seasons end.[7]

As a free agent, Youds left Sweden after four seasons and returned to North America, agreeing to continue his career by signing a contract for the 2019–20 season with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL on October 15, 2019.[8] He later returned to the AHL after securing a loan with the Fuel affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. After appearing in 17 contests with 7 assists for the IceHogs, Youds left the club to return to Sweden for the remainder of the season, signing with IK Oskarshamn of the SHL on February 9, 2020.[9]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2005–06Shattuck-Saint Mary'sMNHS5942024126
2006–07Shattuck-Saint Mary'sMNHS61103242131
2007–08Minnesota State University, MankatoWCHA371111253
2008–09Minnesota State University, MankatoWCHA3208845
2009–10Minnesota State University, MankatoWCHA393232638
2010–11Minnesota State University, MankatoWCHA377142148
2011–12Rockford IceHogsAHL574131760
2011–12Toledo WalleyeECHL11010
2012–13Rockford IceHogsAHL2318922
2012–13Toledo WalleyeECHL43727344740116
2013–14Providence BruinsAHL57218203010002
2014–15Providence BruinsAHL475162125
2014–15Lake Erie MonstersAHL18381110
2015–16Providence BruinsAHL50517223930002
2016–17Leksands IFSHL443141724
2017–18Växjö LakersSHL80336
2017–18Rögle BKSHL321151620
2018–19Rögle BKSHL1200022
2019–20Indy FuelECHL1315610
2019–20Rockford IceHogsAHL1707714
AHL totals269208710720040004

Awards and honors

AwardYear
College
WCHA All-Academic Team2009, 2010, 2011[10]
ECHL
All-Star Game2013[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: icehogs.com: IceHogs News. icehogs.com. 2014-04-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20131217065525/http://www.icehogs.com/news/icehogs/index.html?article_id=3017. December 17, 2013. dead.
  2. Web site: B's announce training camp roster . . 2014-09-18 . 2014-09-18.
  3. Web site: B's announce training camp roster . . 2015-09-16 . 2015-09-16.
  4. Web site: Ben Youds to Leksands . . 2016-05-23 . 2016-05-23 . Swedish.
  5. Web site: Växjö Lakers signar Ben Youds - Växjö Lakers. www.vaxjolakers.se. sv. 2017-07-04.
  6. Web site: Ben Youds ready for Rögle . . 2017-11-25 . 2017-11-25 . Swedish.
  7. Web site: . Changes to the playing squad . 2019-03-20 . 2019-03-20 . Swedish.
  8. Web site: Fuel agree to terms with veteran defenseman Ben Youds . . October 15, 2019 . October 15, 2019.
  9. Web site: Transfer weekend continues! . . February 9, 2020 . February 9, 2020 . Swedish.
  10. Web site: Ben Youds Mankato Mavericks biography . . 2014-02-03 . 2014-02-03.
  11. Web site: Walleye's defenseman Youds, forward Glendening headed to All-Star Game - Toledo Blade. toledoblade.com. 2014-04-05.