It’s Tuesday afternoon in the bowels of the Scotiabank Saddledome, one week ago. The Swift Current Broncos are in high spirits, having just beaten the Calgary Hitmen in the final game of a road trip – their first win in Calgary in five years. The Broncos were led to victory by their captain Glenn Gawdin, who signed with the Calgary Flames as a free agent in November.
Before Gawdin could tend to his media responsibilities he was met by a large contingent of Flames hockey operations staffers, including president of hockey operations Brian Burke and general manager Brad Treliving. That’s life for the Western Hockey League’s leading scorer, and represents a big reversal of fortune for a player that wasn’t signed by the St. Louis Blues and was passed over upon re-entry into the NHL Draft.
A product of Richmond, British Columbia, Gawdin played his minor hockey in the area and was drafted by the Broncos in 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. He made the leap into the Dub after a productive season in midget with the Greater Vancouver Canadians.
His WHL career has been consistently productive, even before this season.
Season | Age | GP | G | P | PPG | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 |
2012-13 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
2013-14 | 16 | 66 | 10 | 22 | 0.33 | 19 | 16 |
2014-15 | 17 | 72 | 15 | 54 | 0.75 | 37 | 26 |
2015-16 | 18 | 53 | 19 | 53 | 1.00 | 35 | 29 |
2016-17 | 19 | 52 | 26 | 59 | 1.13 | 41 | 31 |
2017-18 | 20 | 65 | 55 | 122 | 1.88 | 70 | 52 |
(Stats via Prospect-Stats.com)
Gawdin’s been regarded in WHL circles as a strong 200-foot player basically since his first full season – 0.33 points per game as a 16-year-old rookie is pretty respectable – and his strong overall play saw him get drafted in the fourth round (116th overall) by the Blues in 2015. (The Flames selected Andrew Mangiapane 50 spots later.)
But two factors likely led to the Blues opting not to sign Gawdin: productivity and the NHL’s expansion. In terms of productivity, Gawdin’s two post-draft seasons saw a slight uptick in scoring but not the big jump that’s often see in players that become prospects of note. (For reference, Dillon Dube’s two post-draft seasons have seen him post 1.38 and 1.50 points per game.) The other piece was the NHL expanding to 31 teams, which led to the Blues no longer having an AHL affiliate of their own after Vegas came the new parent of the Chicago Wolves.
From Arch Authority:
That apparently wasn’t enough to sell the Blues on Gawdin, though it’s understandable why they might have felt that signing him would be overkill, as they’re already attempting to develop a multitude of mid-level forward prospects such as Mackenzie MacEachern, Adam Musil, Conner Bleackley, Samuel Blais, and Justin Selman. Since they won’t have an AHL affiliate next season, they’ll have a limited number of AHL roster spots available, and perhaps they felt that it was more sensible to let Gawdin hook on with another organization than to add him to the already large stable of organizational forwards.
Gawdin re-entered the NHL Draft and ended up unclaimed. But the Flames reached out with an invite to their summer development camp. He impressed and earned an invite to participate in the Young Stars Classic tournament in Penticton, and he was good enough there to spend some time in main camp. He ended up finally signing an entry-level contract with the Flames in November.
By the time he signed with the Flames on Nov. 16, he already had 40 points and was well on his way to the best offensive season he’s ever had. Through 65 games, he has 122 points – nine more than the next-best WHLer – and has doubled his best offensive year’s production. He’s always been a smart player who can contribute in all three zones, but he just seems to be exactly where he needs to be with the puck (and able to find his teammates with the puck) this season.
Speaking at the Saddledome after Swift Current’s big win, Gawdin shared that he didn’t think he was doing anything differently than he was in previous seasons. He began the season playing with Panthers prospect Aleksi Heponiemi and Coyotes prospect Tyler Steenbergen, but has since rotated throughout the lineup and maintained his torrid offensive pace.
“I feel like I’m just making the most of my opportunities,” said Gawdin. “I feel like I was always getting chances, and sometimes they weren’t always going in, but I’m definitley getting more chances and kinda just riding a confidence wave. To start this year my linemates included Heponiemi and Steenbergen, we had a good start and we just kinda built off that. Those guys are pretty easy to play with. Steener’s getting close, but Hepo’s over 100 [points], too, so you’re gonna get looks with those guys, it’s just making the most of them.”
For his part, Gawdin seems more focused on team goals than individual goals, which makes sense considering he’s spent four full seasons in the WHL and has made it out of the first round of the playoffs just once.
“If you win the scoring title, you win the scoring title,” said Gawdin. “Basic thing for us is just winning games and hopefully you’re playing in May in the Memorial Cup. That’s our focus and that’s the biggest goal.”
The Broncos begin the WHL playoffs in a couple weeks. Flames fans can see Gawdin there, or wait until development camp in July or prospect camp in September.
Will he be sent to Stockton after his season ends?
I’m certainly assuming so.
Why?
Do you want his scoring to dry up completely under Huska?!
WW
Stockton score the average number of goals in the AHL and with the amount of players they have lost to Calgary this season that’s understandable to not be higher. Good to have ya back WW, but start backing up your arguments would ya.
Shinkurak, Poirier, Mangiapane etc all were scoring leaders in their leagues until they met Huska.
Gawdin will struggle under Huska and the excuses will start:
He is adjusting to a new league….
He is learning the defensive game…..
He was an over-ager in the W so he was over achieving……
Another promising forward ruined….
WW
Mangiapane has the highest points per game in the AHL of everyone who has played more than 8 games. Poirier troubles are pretty well documented at this point. Shinkurak had his opportunity in my opinion after he did well on top line and came to camp underprepared but you could be right on the Shinkaruk front.
Foo, Klimchuck……..
WW
Ww you come across as a very positive guy.
Yeah Mangiapane’s scoring has totally dried up under Huska
Mangiapanne is doing just fine. Poirier had a great first season, then the Flames screwed him up by sending him down for more seasoning even though he earned a start with the Flames (a couple years back now…). Shinkaruk has struggled after getting a few games then sent back. Actually you may be correct in saying they’ve been screwed up, but I put more of the blame on BT and the Flames than Huska.
Great pickup.
Off topic but Dmitry has been seen skating In Buffalo
Edit Smith
Who?
Dmitry Barishnakov? Wow! He is a Flame now?
🙂
There’s only enough room for one Glen in this organization!!
Good thing for Glenn.
Yay Dmitri! Wait what?
I guess this could be considered Getting some Good Karma Back from St. Louis after the Bouwmeester trade returns. Very Happy to have Gawdin as a Flames Prospect! Future Looks Bright!
Kind of looks like Jordan Eberle. Is this a sign from the hockey gods?
The steady increase in production is very encouraging.
Is he a centre or winger?
Just found it on the flames prospect report. He’s a C/RW. Nice!
In Penticton and in camp he was playing his natural position centre. He stood out in Penticton…..smooth skater, nice speed.
I temper my excitement with Gawdin only because he is playing as an overager. Regardless a nice signing by the Flames at a critical position that the organization lacks depth especially and in view of the Hamonic draft choices that have been lost…..
Lots of great talent yet in this Flames system. I liked what I saw with Mangiapane; and thought they should have kept him playing with Jankowski and Hathaway. But waiver claims and mini trades changed that. Anytime you have a top league scorer from the WHL, that can’t be a bad thing either! I will look forward to following Gawdin, Phillips, and Dube playing in those WHL playoffs upcoming. And hopefully Smith’s hoped for ‘soon’ return will help calm down and stabilize the Rittich and the Gillies and this whole Flames team! We miss Smithy’s experience, example, and tenacity to win the most!
Hopefully this kid can be a Brock Boeser for us, or something of that kind. We need a goal scorer. We got the play maker. JG and BB in the all star game looked pretty sweet, and its exciting to see all of our talent in the prospect pool. As many have said, hopefully Mangiapane can bulk up over the summer, cuz he’s had some great looks over this season.
Again, I don’t think the issue with the flames is too much of a depth issue, but more of a coaching and management issue.
GFG
I know there are a handful of us Klimchuk supporters out there. I think he was made for a shutdown line (the 3M line would stay intact!). Drop them them to the third line and graduate Janko et al to the 2nd line.
Want a laugh all? Check this gem RB from ON found. Makes me feel better about Flames future.
That was a hoot. Thanks for laughs. Now we just have to hope the Flames don’t duplicate that ongoing failure.
They should show this to kids in the Edmonton school system.
Smith skating in Buffalo means he is close. Once he returns, Gillies goes back to Stockton with, what I hope is, renewed confidence; just in time for the playoff push for the Heat. With the way Faragher has played, and the concerned health issues with Parsons, maybe he backs up Jon.
I think it is not entirely a Huska issue. I think it is the current Calgary system being preached throughout the organization.
If (when) GG gets the boot, I would assume the system that a new coach brings in will be taught throughout the farm system.
If Huska cannot adjust to the new system, or continues with the same system that is in place now, then we can blame him.
Right now, with the constant change in personnel, he is getting pretty good production out of the team. Is he perfect? No. Are there things that could be changed? Yes. But I wonder how much of what he is allowed to do comes directly from Calgary. If I can believe Brian Petrovek, the Heat CEO, everything that happens in Stockton is controlled by Calgary.
In response to WW above
WW’s response will get back to you in due course, after it is thoroughly vetted and edited ?
Yah Finest, are you not part of the senior executive at FN now?
Can you get rid of the annoying delay?!
Thankies!!!
WW
I’m curious. Why do you get a delay while others get blocked? Did you only reveal one ballsack? If it was a pigs they would catch onto that right away. Pig ballsacks are a no no.
No, I am not.
One organization one system. Once players are called up they are expected to produce without transition…..
So why does GG make them sit (when called up), stating they need practise to get upto game speed if it’s the same system?
That may be a coaching issue. The systems are identical….
Sick. The Ducks just took over 2nd in the Pacific with their win tonight. Would you call their team consistently good? They seem to know how to win when it counts- at the end of the year. And wouldn’t you like to have a Marchand or a Laine on your team?
BY GAWD, MAN ALIVE GAWDIN’S GOT 55 GOALS, SWEET JESUS!
This gawdin sounds like a hidden gem!!!
He’s a 20 yr old (21 in a few weeks) playing in the WHL, aren’t we taught to take this success with a grain of salt?
So I’ve had the pleasure of watching this kid play a nice bit over the last few years. I’m telling you right now, he’s no joke. He’s got an unbelievable eye for the play, and a some nasty grit to him as well. 100+ PIMs to go with 122 points and 8-9 games to go. SC will go deep into the playoffs and most likely battle MJ for entry in the memorial cup. Dont expect Gawdin in Stockton anytime soon.
On a downer of a season in Calgary, we’ve got some real nice WHL prospects to looking forward to. Phillips is like 4-5 in scoring FYI
Great article, great news! I just wish you’d stop using that photo, Pike. All I see is Palpatine pretending to be on the Good Guys’ side in a Flames jersey.
Maybe it’s Papa Pike!