Anchorage’s Drake Glover. Photo courtesy of Birmingham Bulls
Drake Glover won’t get the postseason possession he undoubtedly wanted most – the President’s Cup as champion of the Southern Professional Hockey League – but he bagged a considerable consolation prize Wednesday.
The 28-year-old forward from Anchorage, who led the league in goals and finished second in points, was voted First-Team All-SPHL by coaches, staff and broadcasters after his sizzling season for the regular-season champion Birmingham Bulls.
He became the first Alaskan to earn First-Team honors in the 20-year history of the SPHL. Defenseman Jack Wolgemuth of Anchorage, a two-time NCAA Division III All-American for Wisconsin-Stout, is the only other Alaskan to make an All-SPHL team – he was a Second-Team pick for the Mississippi Surge in 2011.
Glover, the former Seawolf, delivered 33-27—60 totals in 55 games. All those marks were career highs. He also led the circuit in plus-minus (plus-33) and game-winning goals (7), and he tied for first in power-play goals (8). His 172 shots on goal were 10th in the league. He also tied a league record with four goals in a period.
The top-seeded Bulls were upset in the first round of the playoffs by eighth-seeded Evansville despite Glover’s strong work. He racked four goals and an assist in three games.
Glover, in the regular season and postseason combined, nine times crafted point streaks of three games or more. Those included a nine-game heater, a six-gamer and three five-game streaks.
Another Alaskan, Peoria Rivermen winger Cayden Cahill of Anchorage, remains alive in the SPHL playoffs. He furnished an assist Wednesday night in a 7-2 win over Evansville in the opener of a best-of-3 semifinal series. Cahill in the first round scored his first SPHL playoff goal when he delivered the overtime dagger on a breakaway in a victory over Pensacola.
Meanwhile, in the ECHL, a couple of Alaskans faced off Wednesday in the opener of a first-round Kelly Cup playoff series.
Center Nolan Walker of Anchorage furnished the game-tying goal and assisted on the game-winning strike in the regular-season champion Kansas City Mavericks’ 4-2 win over Tulsa. He was named second star of the game. Tulsa forward Alec Butcher of Anchorage, a former Seawolf, was held off the scoresheet, but fired four shots on goal. Tulsa is coached by former Alaska Aces bench boss Rob Murray.