Cody Glass played at PPG Paints Arena for the first time on Oct. 19, 2020. He registered the primary assist on Paul Stastny’s game-winner and helped the Vegas Golden Knights defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0.

Glass debuted in the NHL that season after becoming the first draft selection in Golden Knights history. The expansion franchise took him sixth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. The Manitoba native faced off against one of his childhood role models less than two weeks into his young career.

“Just being in warmups and watching Sidney Crosby across the ice, he was one of those heroes that you always kind of grow up watching,” Glass said. “With the Golden Goal and all of the other amazing things that he’s done, so I was a little bit starstruck.”

Now, almost four years later, Glass will be wearing the same black and gold jersey as his hockey idol when the Penguins kick off the season and host the New York Rangers on Oct. 9. When Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas announced on Aug. 13 that the team had acquired Glass from the Nashville Predators, it was something that the 25-year-old forward immediately started looking forward to.

“Being with him now, it’s just so cool and just a childhood dream come true,” said Glass. “To be able to suit up beside him and be able to play in this building is going to be something that is really cool, just because I loved playing here when I was on the road.”

Glass’s summer mainly consisted of training, spending time with his family, and preparing for his wedding in August. Shortly after their nuptials, Glass and his wife received the news that he had been traded to Pittsburgh. The following weeks have been nothing short of memorable.

“It’s been a whirlwind, but my wife is awesome,” said Glass. “She kind of held everything together through that moment. It was amazing coming here super quickly and getting all my stuff from Nashville and coming over here and kind of just exploring the city and becoming comfortable. You know, I’m still a young kid, and it’s intimidating coming to a new team, but everyone has been great so far, and I’m just extremely happy to be here.”

Glass posted career highs in goals (14) and points (35) during the 2022-23 season as a member of the Predators, who had acquired him from Vegas in the summer of 2021. Last season, Glass registered six goals and 13 points, but was only limited to 41 games after dealing with a lingering injury that kept him out of the lineup in the early half of the season.

Glass spoke with the Penguins coaches and management after the trade to Pittsburgh, and was motivated by what they had to say.

“I think the biggest thing when talking to management is that they believe in me,” Glass said. “As a young player and going through injuries, you kind of lose confidence in yourself. Them bringing me in and wanting me to succeed is just something that you really want to hear from an organization. I’m going to do everything in my power to make them and this city proud.”

In 187 career NHL games, Glass has 71 points (29G-42A) across five seasons. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound forward has spent time playing both center and wing during his time in Vegas and Nashville. Additionally, Glass has tallied 89 points (26G-63A) in 104 American Hockey League games with the Chicago Wolves, Henderson Silver Knights, and Milwaukee Admirals.

During these first few days of training camp, Glass skated on a line with Michael Bunting and Lars Eller. Head Coach Mike Sullivan said time will tell if Glass is capable of playing in the top-six, but “certainly, he’s a guy that may get an opportunity.”

“We’ll see how the camp plays out, but I think Cody’s an exciting player for us,” Sullivan continued. “He obviously has a body of work in the league to this point. He’s an NHL player. We like his size, his skating ability. He’ll help our overall team speed, and we think there’s potentially another level to his game on both sides of the puck. Hopefully, we can help him get there… I think he’s one of these guys that we think might have the ability to blossom into his potential.”

As for the intangibles, Glass feels like his game should be a good fit in this town.

“I think the big thing is every shift I’m going to give it my all,” he said. “You know, it’s just kind of how this city has been built, how this team has been built – is just people who work hard and grind every day, and get everything they deserve off of hard work. So, I’m going to try my best to do that. But I’m also going to hold onto pucks, create plays, and become the player that I always wanted to be.”