Game On Magazine - April 2017 Game on Preview Edition | Page 60

to an A-rating in November
and also jumped from 20th
on the Central Scouting
Rating list in November to
eighth overall among North
American skaters in January
and then to sixth overall at
the end of the season.
The 2016-17 Western
Hockey League campaign
was a dream season for
Glass and as he worked out
– hard – at NRG at the Seven
Oaks Sportsplex and at The
Rink this past summer. He
gave all of the credit for his
near-instant success to his
linemates with the Portland
Winterhawks and to his
grandmother, Judy Glass,
who, next to his dad Jeff and
brother Matt, was probably
his closest and dearest friend.
“I was very excited about
the draft,” Glass said quietly.
“I went into last year as a
guy who wasn’t looked at
very much and I just wanted
to prove to everyone that I
could play. I think I did that
throughout the year.
“I think right from the
start, in August, when I
got cut from Team Canada
(U-18) camp and after that
my grandma passed away
and I wanted to dedicate
my season to my grandma.
M a n i t o b a
George McPhee, Cody Glass and Kelly McCrimmon
Obviously, the motivation
from getting cut by Team
Canada fueled me throughout
the year.
“I also felt more comfortable
on the ice this season. As a
16-year-old I wasn’t the most
exciting player to watch, I just
got the job done. This year,
I felt way more comfortable
with the puck and was able
to do the things I like to do
on the ice. And I had great
linemates. Keegan Iverson
and Skyler McKenzie are great
players and great to play with.
It’s huge to have guys like that
around me. Especially Skyler.
We were together for the
whole year and I think with
him, we clicked right from
the first game of the season.
He can score goals and comes
p l a y e r s
s e l e c t e d
with pure skill and a good shot
and then Iverson was a key on
our line because of how big
he is (6-foot-2, 220 pounds).
He keeps all the enforcers
away from me so it was a treat
having him play alongside us.”
For the uninitiated, Glass
had a remarkable season. A
6-foot-2, 180-pound centre,
Glass finished the 2016-17
WHL season sixth in scoring
in the Western Hockey League
with 32 goals and 94 points
in 69 games. Scouts say he
“attacks hard and fast and
consistently displays excellent
puck control.” The former
Hawks’ Bantam and Thrashers’
Midget can skate, score and
has tremendous skill.
He also had a very
interesting and sometimes
i n
t h e
2 0 1 7
NHL
difficult upbringing. In fact,
it’s been said that “in a life
full of turmoil, hockey has
been the Glass family’s one
constant.” When Cody was 10,
his parents divorced, he was
separated from his dad and his
brother for six months during
a nasty custody battle. Cody’s
dad, Jeff, won the custody
battle, and the family – as it
was – was reunited.
However, after the legal
fight was over, Jeff couldn’t
afford to keep Cody at the
AA level. That’s when his
grandmother stepped in. She
essentially raised Cody and
his brother Matt as their mom
and helped her son Jeff get
back on his feet financially.
Jeff and his two boys are
remarkably close.
Cody’s grandma, Judy, died
in August of 2016 after a long
battle with cancer and while
it brought the family closer
together, her death wasn’t
easy to handle.
“She did so much for me,
my dad and my brother,” Cody
said. “I could never thank her
enough. I dedicated my whole
season to her.”
When he pointed to the
sky every time he scored, she
was obviously looking down
on him. He could not have
scripted a better season. ❍
E n t r y
Dr a f t
2 6 56 67 73 94 163 196
#
Nolan
Patrick
Winnieg
Brandon Wheat
Kings, C (1/1)
Philadelphia
#
#
#
#
#
Nick
Stelio
Morgan
Josh
Cody
Henry
Mattheos
Geekie
Brook
Glass
Portage la Prairie
Winnipeg
Strathclair
Roblin
Winnipeg
Regina Pats
Tri-City Americans Brandon Wheat
Moose Jaw
Portland Winter
Kings RW/C (23/38) RW (25/25)
C (50/45)
Hawks, C (8/6) Warriors D (70/49)
Colorado
Carolina
Carolina
Montreal
Vegas
6 0 | G AM E O N | S E P T EM BER 2 0 1 7
# #
Brett
Davis
Oakbank
Kootenay Ice
RW (142/142)
Dallas Wyatt
Kalynuk
Virden
University of
Wisconsin (NR)
Philadelphia