Luke Glendening Set to Make Rangers Debut After ‘Wild Ride’ Back to NHL

Luke Glendening is expected to make his New York Rangers debut on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.

The Rangers signed Glendening to a one-year, $850,000 contract on Thursday after bringing him in on a PTO.

The Rangers will be without Joe Veleno for at least three months as he recovers from a lower-body injury and have been searching for a fourth-line center in the wake of his absence.

With the Blueshirts sending Justin Dowling down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, it opens the door for Glendening to take his spot as the team’s fourth-line center and is a clear indication that he’ll be in the lineup on Saturday night.

“Luke obviously has a significant body of work in the league,” Sullivan said. “The type of player that he is, he’s been a real reliable, conscientious player. Kills penalties. Really good in the face-off circle. He built a career on that element of his game and prides himself on that.

“Obviously, we've got a little bit of challenge with respect to depth at the center position, and I think Chris (Drury) and his guys thought that we'd bring him in and see if potentially he could help us.”

The 38-year-old forward was signed to a PTO by the Tampa Bay Lightning during training camp, and while he didn’t make the Lightning’s opening-night roster, he admitted that the experience “reinvigorated him.”

Glendening started the 2026-27 season without a job, but the Rangers came to him with an opportunity on Oct. 19, offering him a PTO. Just a few days later, they signed him to a full-time contract.

“I went from playing dress up and Barbies to playing in the National Hockey League, so it’s a wild ride,” Glendening said.

Throughout his 13-season NHL career, Glendening has played for the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers, recording 85 goals, 90 assists, and 175 points.