Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – The leading scorer in the Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League is joining the MacEwan Griffins next season, head coach Lindsay McAlpine announced Monday.
Rylee Gluska, who has 16 goals and 37 points in 27 games for the Yellowhead Chiefs so far this season, will add some welcome offence to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference powerhouse.
"We are very excited to add a player like Rylee," said McAlpine. "It is no secret we are looking for a player who is able to put the puck in the net, and Rylee has been able to do that consistently for her team all season."
McAlpine noted Gluska's a player who uses her size effectively in getting the puck to the net and creating scoring opportunities.
The 5-foot-7 Neepawa, Man., product's profile on the Chiefs' website includes a note from her coach that describes her as a power forward who is physically powerful and can shoot the puck hard, while being a smart team player with leadership qualities.
Sounds like a perfect fit for a Griffins team, which features a deep roster of players who contribute in multiple ways on the ice.
"I would say most of her offence is generated by using her size and taking the puck to the net," said McAlpine. "Another huge positive for me is the fact she is the captain of her team. I spoke about this lots last week when we signed Mackenzie Dachuk, but the intangibles that these players bring are so valuable to the foundation of our program."
Dachuk, the Lloydminster Steelers captain, was the first recruit in McAlpine's 2019-20 to be announced. Read more on her here.
Gluska, who has been conditionally accepted into MacEwan's Nursing program, will join the Griffins in time for the 2019-20 season. She's the latest Griffins' recruit to come out Manitoba, following current team members Nikki and Jordyn Reimer, Carley Jewell, Jessi Rampton and Jenna Thompson to Edmonton.
Rampton is also a Yellowhead Chiefs product and maintains a solid relationship with the coaching staff – no doubt aiding in the recruiting process.
"We have had a strong Manitoba presence on our team in past years, but have not recruited one since Jessi," said McAlpine. "We are excited to keep that pipeline going."
The Griffins (14-5-2-0) have a bye this weekend before returning for their final few games of the 2018-19 regular season. They visit Olds College on Feb. 21 and host them Feb. 23 (6 p.m., Downtown Community Arena). MacEwan also has a makeup game to play at SAIT next week, but the exact day and time has not yet been announced.
