There was no stopping him.
Whether there was traffic in front or it was just him and the goaltender, there was a good chance the puck was going into the back of the net. Cayden Glover was on his way to recording something that has not happened in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 13 years.
In the 2011-12 season, Jesse Sinatynski scored 59 goals with the Dauphin Kings. He is the last player in the MJHL to score 50 or more goals in a season. After 38 games this year, Cayden Glover had 33 goals and was on pace for 50. He had 11 multi-goal games, and between January 4 to January 25, the 20-year-old stud from Brandon had 10 goals and five assists. Glover was on a tear and fueling the Kings' offence in his final year of eligibility at the junior level.
"As a 20-year-old, you hope and dream to have a breakout season, which I was having," said Glover. "I couldn't have done it without my linemates, it wasn't just me. It's something you always hope to do in your last year of junior, it felt awesome."
Cayden's last regular season game as a Dauphin King came on Ukrainian Night on January 25. He was back in the lineup for the team's game on January 31 at Tundra Oil & Gas Place against the Virden Oil Capitals, however, Glover didn't finish that game. He suffered an upper-body injury late in the contest and missed the next 20 games.
We will never know if Cayden would have become the first 50-goal scorer in the league in more than a decade. What we will always remember, however, is the torrid start he was off to and how special of a player he had become.
"Having to sit in the stands and not being able to help your teammates is something I wouldn't wish on anyone," said Glover. "Having such a great season and to see it come to such an abrupt end was heartbreaking. It happens. I just had to battle through it and make sure I was there for my teammates."
Glover remained upbeat despite the heartbreak, knowing there would be light at the end of the tunnel. After his 20-game absence, Glover was back in the lineup for the Kings on March 21 as they opened the Turnbull Cup playoffs against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Cayden got a standing ovation as he hit the ice for warmups, and the rest is history.
"That was the best feeling ever. I was smiling the entire warmup; it was amazing to be back," continued Glover. "The pace was something to get used to, but I feel I have my stride back now."
Then two days after Dauphin secured a 4-1 win in game one, Glover scored his first goal since returning from injury as Dauphin downed the Wolverines 3-1 in game two. He also had one assist.
"Scoring goals is always fun, and after missing so much time and getting that first one back, it was an amazing feeling," offered Glover. "The smile remained on my face for quite a while. It was great to get the monkey off my back."
Glover had another goal and one assist in game three as Dauphin went up three games to nothing with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the Wolverines. On Thursday evening, they had a chance to close out the series, however, it wasn't to be. The Wolverines got a late goal and an empty-netter to seal it in a 5-3 victory.
Dauphin is still in the driver's seat, up three games to one heading into Saturday's game five.
"A little adversity is good for us; we know what it feels like to lose, and no one on our team wants to feel that," commented Glover. "That adversity will push us on Saturday to get the job done in front of our home crowd."
Glover also says the team is using last years' experience to their benefit. Dauphin lost to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard in a marathon seven-game series. Game six needed a fifth overtime, and game seven required a third overtime to decide the winner.
"Everyone that was here last year knows how it felt to lose that final game," said Glover. "It was a war with those guys. Everyone here will do whatever it takes to move on."
As a 20-year-old, Cayden is soaking up his final junior playoff journey.
"Everyone always tell you when you're younger how fast your junior hockey career flies by," said Glover. "I thought there was no way. Now that I've realized how quickly it has gone, it's bittersweet knowing this is my last run. With that said, that's why it's up to us to make this a special run."
Dauphin hosts game five on Saturday night at Credit Union Place at 7:30. Dauphin Kings fans, CG 71 is looking forward to seeing you in the crowd. So bring your noise makers and get ready to blow the roof off as Dauphin looks to advance to the second round of the Turnbull Cup playoffs.
"We have a special group and love playing in front of our fans; we have some of the best fans in the league," ended Glover. "We get a ton of energy from our fans and are looking forward to Saturday, we know how loud it's going to be."