Center Cody Glass has not had an easy journey in the NHL so far, but he hopes this season in Nashville may be a different story.

"Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you." - Ovid

Cody Glass's road to and through the NHL has not been easy. 

Drafted in the first round of 2017, Glass was selected sixth overall - a terrific career starting point for a hockey player with an extremely high hockey IQ, a strong two way game, and creative playmaking. Considering he was the first pick in Vegas Golden Knights franchise history and was selected in the first round alongside names like Cale Makar, Elias Pettersson, and Nick Suzuki, Glass generated high expectations from the start.

After signing his 3 year entry level contract in July of 2017, Glass played in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. In his time with the Winterhawks Glass was named to the WHL Western Conference First All Star Team, became a team captain, and earned the Western Conference Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year award. 

After participating in the Golden Knights training camp in 2019, Glass made his NHL debut with Vegas on October 2, 2019 where he recorded his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot attempt. 

It was a storybook beginning.

It wasn't too far fetched to think Cody Glass was on a fast track for success in the NHL. Early on, he appeared poised to have a solid first year playing top line minutes in Vegas. Things seemed to be falling into place for a young and hungry talent on his way to becoming a potential star. 

But the best sports stories usually have a challenging plot twist. 

Glass's plot twist came in that first season with the Golden Knights. In March of 2020 after a handful of injury issues, Glass's season ended when he underwent knee surgery. As he was dealing with the immediate aftermath of that operation, COVID hit. Not only was the hockey season paused, but the young player was separated from his family who couldn't visit him in Las Vegas during his long rehab. 

It would be over a half a year later before Glass would step back on the ice again. 

Just as he was starting to get his skates under him, Glass was a part of a three way trade that brought him to Nashville in July of 2021. The timing of the trade may have affected an already wavering hockey confidence. After a handful of disappointing games at the start of the season with the Predators, Glass headed to the AHL to spend most of 2021-2022 with Karl Taylor and the Milwaukee Admirals. 

Although it may have been hard to believe at the time, the Roman poet Ovid was right - being patient through pain can create something useful.

It was a season of developing patience and finding his game again in Milwaukee. While time in the AHL may have felt like a step back, Glass took advantage of the opportunity to work his way back into NHL form physically and mentally. After playing 66 games, the center led the team in points. 

Now Glass is working hard at Nashville's training camp hoping for a chance once again in the NHL.

In Monday's preseason game against the Florida Panthers, Glass played on a line with Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene and recorded a power play goal. His performance so far in training camp and the preseason game shows he is taking his past pain and making it useful. 

Head coach John Hynes has noticed the growth in Glass's physical play as well as his mental toughness.

"He's done a much better job in the competitive battles and hard areas of the game, the face-off circle, being a down low player in the defensive zone as a centerman," Hynes said after Monday's game. 

"He has the engine now to be able to do it. He has the sustainability shift in and shift out. He had a great summer, but he just looks much more physically ready at this point and time."

"I think he's mentally ready," Hynes added. "He's confident, so it's good to see."

When asked how he felt seeing the puck go in on his power play goal in front of the home crowd on Monday, Glass replied, "It was a great feeling. That was my first goal in front of this building so it was good to get it out of the way."

There is more Glass wants to show in training camp. His challenging start in the NHL certainly doesn't have to be the end of the story. 

"It's one of those years where it's a make or break for me, and I'm just trying to work my butt off and make this team because there's not a lot of chances left for me. I'm trying to make the most of it and do the best I can."

It doesn't appear the story of Cody Glass is done being written quite yet.