The New York Rangers are bringing in a familiar NHL veteran for camp, signing Luke Glendening to a professional tryout agreement on Monday.
Glendening, 37, has built a long career around the kind of work that coaches trust. He was never an offensive producer who piled up big numbers, topping out as a 20-point player over 14 NHL seasons, but he carved out a role through faceoffs, grit and steady defensive work.
A Michigan native from Grand Rapids, Glendening went undrafted after four years at the University of Michigan. He captained the Wolverines in his final season and finished that year with 21 points in 41 games.
His first professional stop was brief, with three games for the Providence Bruins, before he moved into the Detroit Red Wings organization and returned to his home state. He opened his pro career with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he produced 26 points in 51 games in one season. The next year, he broke into Detroit’s lineup and played 56 games while recording seven points.
Glendening then spent eight seasons with the Red Wings, posting 57 goals and 69 assists for 126 points in 554 games. He also wore an “A” as an assistant captain from 2019 to 2021, a reflection of the leadership he brought even without ever topping 23 points in an NHL season.
After Detroit, he joined the Dallas Stars in 2021 and played two seasons there before moving on to the Tampa Bay Lightning for two more. Last season, he split time between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers.
Now he lands with a Rangers team looking for help in the bottom six and on the penalty kill. New York’s offense sits in the bottom ten at 2.80 goals per game, and Glendening gives the club a veteran option with experience, leadership and penalty-killing value.
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For the fringe group, that means every shift and every stretch of availability matters more than usual. Limited ice time, injuries and uneven play have all made several spots feel less secure, and the next roster move could easily send someone to waivers or back to Grand Rapids as the team sorts out its depth chart. [Read more 🡒]