Curtis Glencross

Curtis Glencross
Born (1982-12-28) December 28, 1982
Kindersley, SK, CAN
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Anaheim Ducks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
Washington Capitals
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2004–2015

Curtis Jack Glencross (born December 28, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. An undrafted player, he signed with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as a free agent in 2004 and made his NHL debut with the team in 2007. He has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals. He was an effective goal scorer and active within the community during his time in Calgary, which led to the team naming him its recipient of the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award in 2012. After splitting the 2014–15 season between Calgary and Washington, Glencross was unable to reach a contract deal with any NHL team and opted to retire as a player. During his playing career, Glencross was a spokesman for the Special Olympics. He has also participated with Rae Croteau Jr.'s chuckwagon racing team in the summer.

Early life

Glencross was born December 28, 1982, in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, but grew up in Provost, Alberta.[1] He is the son of Mel and Robin Glencross, and has a younger brother, Matthew, and sister, Kari.[2] His parents both played hockey and say he inherited an intense competitive nature from them.[2] His family moved to Red Deer, Alberta when he was a teenager as his parents began a livestock auction business.[2] Glencross was small for his age, standing less than five feet tall when he was 15, and as a result was often left off the top teams in minor hockey despite having the talent to play; he played Midget C hockey in Provost.[1] He experienced a rapid growth spurt, growing a full foot in a period of 17 months, and was recruited to play Junior A hockey for the expansion Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 2000.[2] He went on to become the first Bandit alumnus to play in the National Hockey League (NHL),[3] and his number 17 was retired by the team in 2011.[4]

Playing career

College and minor professional

The Bandits were a last-place team both years Glencross played, but he was among the AJHL's leading goalscorers in 2001–02 with 42 goals. He went undrafted by an NHL team, but received interest from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools and was considering returning to Brooks for a third season of junior. Jack Kowal, assistant coach of the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, had scouted Glencross during the season. Impressed with his ability and intensity on the ice, offered Glencross a full scholarship to play for his school.[2] Glencross played two seasons at Alaska-Anchorage between 2002 and 2004, scoring 32 goals and 57 points in 72 games.[5] He was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association offensive player of the week for December 15, 2003, after scoring a hat trick against the Colorado College Tigers in a 5–2 win.[6][7] He led the Seawolves in goals (21) and points (34) in 2002–03.[8]

Glencross chose to forgo his final two years of college eligibility, signing a professional contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on March 25, 2004.[5] He was assigned to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, to complete the 2003–04 season. He scored two goals in seven regular season games, and one more in nine playoff games.[8] He remained with Cincinnati in 2004–05, appearing in 51 games and scoring nine points.[5] He was moved to the Portland Pirates, also of the AHL, in 2005–06 and improved to 15 goals and 25 points in 41 games while also appearing in 19 post-season games.[5]

Ducks, Blue Jackets and Oilers

Glencross' 2006–07 season was split between four teams. Glencross began with the Pirates, but at mid-season earned his first call-up and made his NHL debut on January 13, 2007.[9] He scored his first goal on his first NHL shot that night, against Peter Budaj, in a 3–2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche.[10] He played two games with Anaheim before he was traded, along with Zenon Konopka and a 7th round draft pick, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Mark Hartigan, Joe Motzko and a 4th round pick on January 26.[5] Glencross appeared in seven games with the Blue Jackets but finished the season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch.[8]

A hockey player in full uniform. The Jersey and legs are red with black, white and yellow trim, while the pants and helmet are black. The logo says "Calgary" in script and includes a small stylized "C".
Glencross served as an alternate captain for the Flames.

Glencross established himself as an NHL regular in 2007–08. He appeared in 36 games for the Blue Jackets before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Dick Tarnstrom on February 1, 2008.[11] Glencross appeared in 26 games for the Oilers, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in 61 games combined between Columbus and Edmonton.[5] Though he played well with Edmonton,[12] the Oilers did not make a contract offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.[13] Glencross hoped to remain in Edmonton as it was close to his Red Deer home. But after the Oilers made little effort to negotiate with him, he chose to sign a three-year, $3.6 million deal with Edmonton's provincial rival, the Calgary Flames.[14]

Calgary Flames

In his first year with the Flames, Glencross set new personal highs in games played (74), goals (13) and points (40).[8] He missed six games in December 2008 with a knee injury,[9] and three more early in the 2009–10 NHL season after he was suspended for a blind-side hit on Chris Drury of the New York Rangers.[15] He set a new personal best with 15 goals on the season that included his first NHL hat trick in a victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.[16] His season was ended on March 17 after suffering a leg injury when he was struck by Matt Hendricks of the Colorado Avalanche in a knee-on-knee collision.[17]

Playing in the final year of his contract, Glencross set personal highs of 24 goals and 43 points in 2010–11.[18] While the Flames received offers from other teams for Glencross at the trade deadline, the team chose to hold on to him though they risked losing him as an unrestricted free agent following the season.[19] Glencross chose to remain in Calgary, agreeing to a four-year, $10.2 million contract with the Flames on May 17, 2011. Glencross felt that he could have earned a bigger contract on the open market, but chose to take less money to remain in Calgary.[18] With 26 goals in 2011–12, Glencross finished second on the team to Jarome Iginla's 32. He was the league's most efficient scorer, scoring on 23.6 percent of his shots on net.[20]

Glencross reached several milestones in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season en route to leading the Flames with 15 goals. After scoring his 100th career goal, he recorded both his 100th assist and 200th point in a 5–4 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on February 24, 2013.[21] His season was ended prematurely by a knee injury after Anaheim's Ben Lovejoy stuck his leg out to cause a knee-on-knee collision. The injury forced Glencross out of the team's final four games of the season.[22]

Injuries plagued Glencross throughout the 2013–14 season as he missed 15 games to a sprained knee, then suffered a high ankle sprain three weeks after his December 10 return.[23] The injury forced him out of the lineup for nearly three months; he missed an additional 29 games before returning to action.[24] In just the sixth game after his return, he scored his third career hat-trick in an 8-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers.[25]

Washington Capitals

As Glencross' contract was set to expire at the end of the 2014–15 season, his future in Calgary was placed in doubt; the team asked him for a list of teams he would agree to waive his no trade clause to as the March 2, 2015, trade deadline approached.[26] Though the team was in playoff contention at the deadline, it still opted to move Glencross. He was traded to the Washington Capitals on March 1, in exchange for second and third round picks at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[27] He made his debut with Washington two nights later. Combined between Calgary and Washington, Glencross scored 13 goals and 35 points in 71 games played.[28]

Despite his reduced offensive output relative to previous seasons, Glencross expected to sign with a new team as a free agent. However, when no contract offers materialized, Glencross instead accepted a professional tryout offer with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[29] Toronto opted against signing Glencross and, after releasing him from the try-out, Glencross signed another tryout offer, with the Colorado Avalanche.[30] After two scoreless pre-season games he was released by the Avalanche on October 5, 2015.[31] His first pre-season game with the Avalanche was in Calgary; the Flames recognized Glencross' contributions with the team during the game, a gesture he appreciated. However, the Avalanche also released Glencross, leaving his career in limbo as the 2015–16 NHL season began.[32] He opted against playing in Europe in favour of remaining in Canada with his young family and, on October 20, 2015, announced his retirement as a player. Glencross played 507 games, scored 134 goals and had 275 points.[33]

Personal life

While Glencross grew up around the rodeo circuit, he did not enter into the sport until he met World Professional Chuckwagon Association driver Rae Croteau Jr. in 2005.[34] He became interested in chuckwagon racing at the time, and while he does not race, Glencross was a part of Croteau's team in 2007 and 2008, helping around the stables.[35]

Glencross and his wife Tanya have two daughters and a son.[33] An active member of the community during his playing career, Glencross served as a spokesman for the Special Olympics program,[36] and hosted an annual charity golf tournament in support of Calgary Crime Stoppers.[37] The first event, held in 2009, raised C$100,000.[38] Glencross is also involved with the Alberta Children's Hospital. In recognition of his community efforts, the Flames named him the 2012 recipient of the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award, given by the team in recognition of on-ice leadership coupled with community service.[39]

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2000–01Brooks BanditsAJHL60232245113—————
2001–02 Brooks BanditsAJHL53422668 —————
2002–03University of Alaska-AnchorageWCHA3511122379—————
2003–04University of Alaska-AnchorageWCHA3721133479—————
2003–04Cincinnati Mighty DucksAHL72136916710
2004–05Cincinnati Mighty DucksAHL51639631220210
2005–06Portland PiratesAHL411510258519461037
2006–07Portland PiratesAHL316101674—————
2006–07Anaheim DucksNHL21012—————
2006–07Syracuse CrunchAHL2919163553—————
2006–07Columbus Blue JacketsNHL70000—————
2007–08Columbus Blue JacketsNHL36661225—————
2007–08Edmonton OilersNHL26941328—————
2008–09Calgary FlamesNHL7413274042603312
2009–10Calgary FlamesNHL6715183358—————
2010–11Calgary FlamesNHL7924194359—————
2011–12Calgary FlamesNHL6726224862—————
2012–13Calgary FlamesNHL4015112618—————
2013–14Calgary FlamesNHL3812122412—————
2014–15Calgary FlamesNHL539192839—————
2014–15Washington CapitalsNHL184376101012
NHL totals 507 134 141 275 351 16 1 3 4 14

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Mark (2008-01-21). "Hockey Journeys". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Woody, Doyle (2002-12-03). "Glencross a cornerstone for UAA". Anchorage Daily News. p. C1.
  3. ↑ "Alumni of the Brooks Bandits". Brooks Bandits Hockey Club. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  4. ↑ Down, John (2011-12-09). "Brooks to salute ex-Bandit Glencross". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Curtis Glencross profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  6. ↑ "UAA Hockey all-time WCHA player of the week" (PDF). University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  7. ↑ "UAA Hockey all-time hat tricks" (PDF). University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean (2009). 2009–10 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 52.
  9. 1 2 Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean (2010). 2010–11 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. pp. 46–47.
  10. ↑ "Hedjuk nails shootout attempt, Avalanche edge past Ducks". ESPN. 2007-01-13.
  11. ↑ Portzline, Aaron (2008-02-01). "Blue Jackets deal Glencross to Oilers". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  12. ↑ Duhatschek, Eric (2008-07-02). "Flames sign Curtis Glencross". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  13. ↑ Tychkowski, Robert (2008-07-02). "Change good for Torres". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  14. ↑ Ireland, Joanne (2008-07-03). "Calgary was still close to home for Glencross". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  15. ↑ Klein, Jeff Z. (2009-11-09). "Flames’ Glencross Suspended Three Games for Hit on Rangers’ Drury". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  16. ↑ "Glencross' hat-trick leads Flames to win over Hurricanes". The Sports Network. 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  17. ↑ Gilbertson, Wes (2010-03-18). "Sutter keeps Glencross' injury secret". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  18. 1 2 Hall, Vicki (2011-05-17). "Glencross gets $10.2 million contract". Calgary Herald. p. E1.
  19. ↑ "Flames pick up Modin, Carson". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2011-02-28. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  20. ↑ Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean; Ahrens, Janette; Buer, Greg (eds.). 2012–13 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 67.
  21. ↑ "Former UAA winger Glencross bags 100th career NHL assist, adds goal". Anchorage Daily News. 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  22. ↑ Sportak, Randy (2013-04-20). "Knee injury ends Glencross' season". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  23. ↑ Vickers, Aaron (2013-12-23). "Flames lose Glencross, Russell to injury". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  24. ↑ Sportak, Randy (2014-03-12). "Getting bodies back". Calgary Sun. p. S2.
  25. ↑ Jones, Shane (2014-03-23). "Flames rout Oilers behind Glencross hat trick". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  26. ↑ Gilbertson, Wes (2015-02-19). "Curtis Glencross to leave the Calgary Flames? LW asked for list of preferred teams ahead of NHL trade deadline". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  27. ↑ Cruickshank, Scott (2015-03-02). "Flames busy on eve of trade deadline". Calgary Herald. p. D1.
  28. ↑ "Curtis Glencross player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  29. ↑ Sportak, Randy (2015-09-11). "No guarantees for Glencross". Calgary Sun. p. S8.
  30. ↑ "Curtis Glencross joins Colorado Avalanche in Calgary". Denver Post. 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  31. ↑ "Curtis Glencross released by Avs, Mikko Rantanen still on roster". Denver Post. 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  32. ↑ Francis, Eric (2015-10-07). "Glencross thanks fans, Flames". Calgary Sun. p. S9.
  33. 1 2 "Former Flames F Glencross retires". The Sports Network. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  34. ↑ "Racer finds lucky charm in Glencross". Edmonton Journal. 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  35. ↑ "Glencross: From hockey rink to chuckwagon arena". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  36. ↑ "Player programs". Calgary Flames Hockey Club. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  37. ↑ "Glencross Invitational". Glencross Invitational. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  38. ↑ "First annual Glencross Invitational tops $100k" (PDF). Calgary Crime Stoppers. 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  39. ↑ Down, John (2012-03-16). "Glencross calls Flames' off-ice recognition 'an honour'". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2012-03-17.

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