Milwaukee Admirals help Predators prospect Cody Glass rebuild career
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In a relatively short time, Cody Glass has been a historic draft pick, played for an American Hockey League title, scored in his National Hockey League debut, spent nine months off the ice after knee surgery, been traded and rebuilt his game in the minors.
Beginning this weekend, the Milwaukee Admirals center hopes to use the momentum he has built throughout the season to help the Admirals get to the place he was just three years ago – but also a lifetime ago – and then one step further.
“It’s a little bit crazy for a 23-year-old to have the most playoff experience on the team,” said Glass, who was with the Chicago Wolves when they lost to Charlotte in the title round in 2019, the last time the AHL had a proper postseason.
“But when it comes down to it, going to the Calder Cup Finals, that experience, going through adversity and stuff like that, I feel like it helps a lot. And if I can share that with other people, that can go a long way for our team.”
The Admirals open their best-of-five Central Division semifinal series against the division rival Manitoba Moose with games at 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
The Admirals finished third in the division, behind Manitoba, and went 5-5-2 in the season series.
“We’ve had a couple of good stretches, and I think right now we’re playing really good hockey,” veteran defenseman Matt Donovan said. “Especially the last game, that was a playoff type game against Rockford and we knew we needed to win that one to get third place and we got the job done. We played playoff style hockey.”
Which is?
“If you watch the NHL, guys are fighting that wouldn’t normally fight, big hits, everyone’s finishing their hits, everyone’s skating a million miles an hour,” Donovan said.
“I think we’re ready for it. It’s the type of game we play, and if we do that, if we amp it up a little bit, I think we’re going to be good.”
The Admirals won the AHL regular-season championship the last time they played for one, in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. Then Milwaukee was idle last season because of COVID restrictions in the city.
The roster has turned over substantially, with promotions to and transactions from the parent Nashville Predators.
Donovan is one of three players on the current Admirals roster who was with the team for the playoffs in ’19. He and left wing Cole Schneider played all five games in a first-round loss to Iowa. Center Tommy Novak played in one.
“It’s something as a staff we’re aware of,” coach Karl Taylor said of the lack of AHL playoff experience, “so maybe our hands are on the wheel a little bit tighter than normal to assist and guide our leadership group and to help them through some different scenarios that might happen.
“You get a couple of bad calls against you, you get calls for you. You…
Read More: Milwaukee Admirals help Predators prospect Cody Glass rebuild career 2022-05-05 13:25:53