Glennie’s 2007 commencement into the Western Hockey League was nothing short of precocious – he had just one year of midget hockey before joining the role call of the Brandon Wheat Kings. But this student of hockey quickly emerged as elite among his peers, scoring 26 goals, 32 assists, and registering a +10 in his rookie campaign – good enough for 5th place in rookie scoring.
That scoring, combined with that of line mates and fellow rookies Brayden Schenn and Matt Calvert, saw the trio blossom into one of the highest scoring rookie lines in league history, with 193 combined points.
“It was a growing experience last year for Scotty,” Wheat Kings assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk said. “Coming straight out of midget hockey, well, any successes he had last year were well earned and well deserved.
If “any successes” translates into “5th place in rookie scoring,” then it is well deserved indeed.
Listed at 6’1” and 182 lbs, the speedy center is currently 7th in scoring in the WHL. This year with the Wheat Kings, he has registered 22 goals, 31 assists, and is an outstanding +20 in just 40 games.
While there is an upside to stats, perhaps an even greater marker of Glennie’s potential is his winning instinct. He wore a bronze medal with the Team Western squad at the World Under 17 Challenge in 2008, and was with Team Canada when it captured the gold medal at the prestigious Milan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic later that year.
“It was a great experience, I mean it’s a real honor to play for Hockey Canada,” said Glennie of the international lessons and exposure that he has earned. “After you do it a couple times, you just want to keep playing well so that the opportunities keep coming.”
Certainly, the hunger for opportunity is there in the talented left winger as he fights his way up the ISS draft board. His prolific speed, playmaking, and scoring abilities are ahead of many ranked above him, suggesting he may be overlooked – so far.
While he is able to play at wing or center, it is the combination of this versatility and his studious work on his defensive game that has earned him a spot on the Brandon penalty killing unit, as his overall game improves.
Glennie will graduate into the NHL class of 2009 in June, and his prized combination of talent, attitude, and winning instinct should make him a mid-first round steal.
Scott Michalak - Scott Michalak was born in Buffalo, New York, and has since traveled and lived in places such as England, Belgium, Australia, and around ...
