So, here we are. The Cody Glass era is officially underway for the Vegas Golden Knights and we are all in for it.
Ahead of their 2019-20 regular season opener against the San Jose Sharks tonight (7:30 p.m. PT), the Vegas Golden Knights announced their opening night roster and the biggest headline was the inclusion of the young phenom.
Glass is the biggest high-end talent in the Golden Knights farm system and he has been on a rapid upwards trajectory since being selected No. 6 overall by Vegas in the 2017 NHL Draft – the first pick in franchise history.
After dominating the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks with a stunning 292 points (94 goals, 198 assists), Glass handled the step up in quality with consummate ease when he was promoted to the AHL with the Chicago Wolves, tallying five points (three goals, two assists) in six games down the stretch last year.
But the best was to come as the two-way center elevated his game further in the postseason, going on an absolute tear with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 22 games. His spectacular play was a driving force behind the Wolves embarking on a spectacular run to the Calder Cup Finals, and Glass’ arrival certainly grabbed the attention of hockey experts and fans alike in and around the NHL.
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So, the stage was set when Glass arrived at 2019 Rookie Camp knowing that he had a real opportunity to impress the coaching staff and stake his claim for a roster spot in 2019-20.
And the 20-year-old didn’t disappoint, producing a strong showing at the Anaheim Rookie Faceoff Tournament before mixing it with the big boys at Training Camp, while translating his bundles of talent to the ice in preseason with a string of sublime displays.
Placed on the wing and in his preferred center ice position, Glass looked at ease on the big stage and his ability to read the ice, coupled with his stellar playmaking skills, stood out and truly sent “Glass Mania” into orbit.
Often put on a line with Max Pacioretty, the rookie and the veteran thrived together and forged a lethal chemistry, with Glass assisting on two of Pacioretty’s four goals in the exhibition games and showing no signs of stage fright.
Although a sloppy performance in the preseason finale against the San Jose Sharks threatened to derail Glass’ chances of cracking the big league roster, he was thrown a lifeline when both Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin went down with upper-body injuries in the final exhibition game.
And that leads us to tonight. Glass will begin 2019-20 in the NHL and he’ll make his debut in the majors against the San Jose Sharks on the biggest stage possible with all eyes on what has turned into a ferocious, impassioned rivalry.
If that wasn’t enough, Glass looks set to center a second line featuring Pacioretty and Mark Stone as his wings, two elite forwards who will feast on their young rookie’s sublime dishes and unreal ability to unlock a defense.
In other words, that line has the potential to be an explosive wildcard for the Vegas Golden Knights who already pack enough firepower to sink a small fleet of battleships. Tonight is an audition for Glass and a strong showing could make it extremely hard to send him back down to the AHL once Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin are back.
Hockey is back and the Cody Glass era officially starts in earnest tonight. And we can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.