Cody Glass has checked off a lot of things on his bucket list the past few years: getting drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, playing in the Calder Cup Final with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and being one of the top young prospects in the league.
What’s the next thing he wants to cross off? Making the Golden Knights roster for the 2019-20 season.
“Playing at the NHL level is just a different pace,” said Glass. “Once you get at that pace it’s easy to get used to the style of play, but this summer is going to be important for me. I’m looking forward to making the NHL team so it’s going to be a fun summer.”
Granted, the 20-year-old forward has less time to prepare for next season than most of his peers after the Wolves’ run for the Calder Cup.
“It was a good first taste of pro and I felt like I did really well up there,” said Glass. “As soon as I got there everybody was super good to me. The coaching staff and players as well. It was a really good playoff run and I wouldn’t want to do it with other guys, that’s for sure.”
Glass tallied 69 points (15 G, 54 A) in 38 games with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks in 2018-19 before closing out the season on the Wolves’ roster. While his season in Portland was limited by minor injuries, he still managed to finish second on the team in scoring despite missing 30 games.
In 22 AHL playoff games, the Winnipeg native notched 15 points (7 G, 8 A) which ranked second among rookies in the postseason. Though the prize of a Calder Cup title was not claimed by Glass and the Wolves, he still appreciated the experience of reaching the final stage of the season.
“You’re going to take a short summer whenever you can,” said Glass. “When you make it to the finals, it’s something special. Obviously, you want to make it and win it, but we had a real good group over there.”
Glass will be making his way back to the desert next week where he’ll get to show off his skills with other young prospects.
“The hockey community is unbelievable here,” said Glass. “From my first development camp to now it’s a huge change. The atmosphere is a lot different and you just see how the community loves the Vegas Golden Knights. As a prospect that’s something you love to see and look forward to getting into the organization.”