Preds Top 20, No. 20: Cody Glass Makes the Team

The Nashville Predators 2022-23 season has officially come to an end, and what a season it has been. From momentous firsts to bittersweet farewells, this year was full of memorable moments both on and off the ice.
We've already taken a look back at the
Top 10 goals scored by the Predators this season
. Now, we're counting down the Top 20 moments and milestones that highlighted a special season of hockey in SMASHVILLE.
We'll take our trip down memory lane in chronological order, so let's head all the way back to training camp to begin our countdown at No. 20.

--
He may not like it, but we're going to bring it up again - the time Cody Glass cried on TV.
In the final segment of episode two of NHL Network's aptly-named "Behind the Glass," we saw the young forward break into a wide grin and shed a few tears following Nashville's 2-0 preseason win over the Tampa Bay Lightning as he sat in President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile's office and learned that he would be on the Predators roster for the 2022 Global Series.

Glass' tears were certainly justified in light of his journey leading up to that moment.
Glass made history as the first-ever draft pick by the Vegas Golden Knights franchise when he was selected No. 6 overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with Vegas in 2019 and, after an injury-riddled rookie season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury requiring surgery in March 2020.
"I doubted myself quite a bit, especially through my whole knee surgery," Glass said. "I thought my knee might not be 100 percent and I might not be able to get back to the player that I was.

The Covid-19 pandemic only added to Glass' self-doubt, hindering his ability to rehab and train like he otherwise would following his surgery. Ultimately, he arrived in Nashville in July 2021 as part of a three-way trade but was assigned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals for the 2021-22 season.
Glass had 14 goals, 48 assists and 62 points in 66 games for Milwaukee (AHL) in 2021-22, his third full professional season. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound center ranked among the AHL's leaders in assists (fifth) and points (tied for 15th) and was Milwaukee's team leader in both categories, helping lead the Admirals to a 39-28-5-4 record (87 points) and a playoff berth. His 62 points were the most by an Admirals skater since 2011-12; his 48 assists were the most since Cal O'Reilly's 56 in 2008-09. Glass also skated in seven Calder Cup Playoff games for Milwaukee, tallying one goal and six points.
At the NHL level, he appeared in eight regular-season games for the Predators in 2021-22, averaging 11:25 of ice time and registering his first point with the organization on April 16 vs. Chicago (1a). He also suited up for two postseason contests against Colorado before Poile announced on June 24 that the team had signed Glass to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2022-23 season.
"I felt like playing a full year last year in the AHL helped that a lot… I got] the touches, the ice time, all the opportunity that I was given to kind of flourish again. Coming into this summer, I felt healthy, I felt good and I just went in with the right mindset. I'm here where I am now and I'm very thankful."
To say that Glass worked hard to make the team this year may be an understatement. His father, Jeff, recalled being "amazed" at his drive and dedication to training this past summer.
"I signed a one-year, two-way deal, and I felt it was one of those make-or-break kind of years for me," Glass said. "I was not going to let anything get in the way of that. I was going to train as hard as I possibly could. I would sit down every day, and I would do all these little things to kind of work on my game just to have no excuses going into the year. My dad saw me in the backyard doing a bunch of stuff, and I might be at the rink for probably two and a half to three hours [a day], just trying to do everything I possibly could to put myself in the right position."
It's safe to say that Glass' effort paid off this season. The Nashville Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association announced on April 10 that it had
[nominated Glass for the 2022-23 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
, an annual award under the trusteeship of the PHWA given "to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."

"I came into this year just trying to make the team," Glass said. "So for me to not only make the team but to play an important role… is something I never thought of at the beginning of the year. But things change throughout the year, and I've worked hard for this moment."
If Glass hadn't already cemented himself as a fan favorite with his infectious smile or the now-famous crying video, he certainly helped his case with his performance on the ice this season. Now a mainstay in the Predators top-six, he finished the season with career highs in goals (14), assists (21) and points (35) - and he's just getting started.
"That's just the start," he said. "I've kind of had a taste of that success this year, and it's a good feeling. It's a great feeling to be in the NHL, and I never want to take it for granted. So I think it's something that I'm going to take into the summer and cherish. One summer of training is not going to do it. You have to keep doing it every year, so I'm looking forward to it."