Glenn Gawdin’s monster final season in the Western Hockey League will continue on.
The 21-year-old Richmond native and Swift Current Broncos captain scored the winning goal in a 3-2 game seven triumph over the Regina Pats on Monday night. The Broncos will now take on the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Eastern Conference semi-finals starting on Friday.
Gawdin finish second in WHL regular season scoring with 125 points in 67 games, including 56 goals. He also led the league in plus/minus rating at +61 and was named to the Eastern Conference First All-Star Team. He added 11 points in the series win over Regina, including his fifth goal that gave the Broncos a 3-1 second period lead.
Back in November he agreed to three-year entry level deal with the Calgary Flames.
Initially selected in the fourth round (116th) by St. Louis in the 2015 NHL Draft, Gawdin was unsigned by the Blues but was invited as a free agent to Calgary’s training camp and made an impression at the Young Stars Classic tournament in Penticton.
The McRoberts graduate grew up through Richmond Minor’s hockey programs and was aged up to play Bantam rep a year ahead of schedule. For his third season of eligibility, he shifted over to Seafair’s top Bantam team where some impressive numbers led to being selected fifth overall by the Broncos’ in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. He played one season for the Major Midget Greater Vancouver Canadians before taking his hockey career to the prairies.
Despite an impressive 48-17-5-2 regular season record, the Broncos had their hands full with a Regina team that went 40-25-6-1 and is hosting next month’s Memorial Cup. The Swift Current/Moose Jaw match-up features the league’s top two teams colliding in the second round. The Warriors will enjoy home ice thanks to a 52-15-2-3 record.
