The Chicago Wolves hosted the Grand Rapids Griffins in their third and final School Day game of the season on Thursday afternoon. While the Wolves suffered a tough loss to fall four points behind the Griffins in a tight playoff race, the biggest concern to come out of the Windy City is sending shockwaves all the way to Las Vegas.
Another Setback for a Star in the Making
Cody Glass, the sixth-overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, was back in the American Hockey League, working his way back from a right knee injury suffered on Jan. 4. He made his AHL debut on Feb. 13, helping the Wolves beat the first-place Admirals with a goal and an assist.
He was recalled to the NHL on Friday, but returned to Chicago on Tuesday. His second game with the Wolves came to an early end after he was hit by Detroit Red Wings prospect Michael Rasmussen in the first period.
Glass made his way back to the bench in obvious discomfort. He remained with his teammates until the first intermission but did not return from the locker for the remainder of the contest.
Wolves’ head coach Rocky Thompson confirmed after the game that Glass had indeed reinjured the same knee that cost him over a month of the season. Add this to the concussion he suffered in late December and this has been a very frustrating first professional season for the youngster out of Winnipeg.
“I was out with a concussion,” Glass said after his first game back. “Three games later, I was playing some really good hockey and I get injured again. You start to get a little down on yourself because it’s happening too often. Last year, I had the exact same kind of injury and now I come back with a similar situation. I think I handled it really well last year and I have the same mindset this year.”
The Ceiling is High for Glass
It is far too early to start suggesting that a 20-year-old player is injury prone, but it is hard not to be concerned about the recent trend. Glass has shown that he can be a 200-foot player at the NHL level and Thompson gave him some high praise.
“I see him as a very similar player to Mark Stone, just at the center position,” he said when asked about Glass’ upside. “He’s somebody that needs to mature a bit physically. Stone played two years in the American League before going up to the NHL. I see that same type of progression with Cody.
“He’s not somebody who jumps right in and turns things on fire. He might be able to do that, but he’s somebody who takes a little bit of time because physically – he needs to get a little stronger – but his mind is an NHL-elite mind.”
Glass made the Golden Knights roster right out of training camp after a strong performance helping the Wolves to the Calder Cup Final last spring. It remains to be seen how long this latest setup will keep Glass off the ice, but the frustration has to be at an all-time high.
