Dave Hudson was selected in the sixth round, 71st overall in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He began his professional career at the age of 20, with Chicago's CHL farm team in Dallas, after playing three years of college hockey at the University of North Dakota. Hudson scored 17 goals and 54 assists in 69 games with the Dallas team that year. In 1971-72, Hudson returned to Dallas for 63 games, scoring 29 goals and 63 points.
Hudson was picked by the New York Islanders in the 1972 Expansion Draft, which finally gave him a shot at playing in the NHL. In 69 games, he responded with 12 goals and 31 points. The following year, he played 63 games, but his offensive numbers dropped to just two goals and 12 points.
Once again Hudson was chosen in the Expansion Draft in 1974, this time by the Kansas City Scouts. In two full seasons with the Scouts, Hudson scored 20 goals and 72 points. Hudson always preferred playing a wide-open style of game, but more times than not the opposition had a greater abundance of raw talent, so Hudson and the rest of the Scouts had to learn how to play sound defensive hockey.
He followed the franchise when it moved to Denver, Colorado in 1976-77 and was renamed the Rockies. Hudson remained with the team for two years, retiring at the end of the 1977-78 campaign.
Hudson finished his NHL career having played 409 games, scoring 59 goals, 124 assists and 183 points.
