Luke Glendening

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Griffins on Tuesday signed forward and East Grand Rapids native Luke Glendening to a one-year contract. Glendening becomes the first player from Greater Grand Rapids to ever sign with the American Hockey League club.

This spring, Glendening capped off a successful collegiate career at the University of Michigan by tying a career-high with 21 points (10-11—21) in 41 games and reaching new career bests with 10 goals and a plus-18 rating. He signed an amateur tryout with the Providence Bruins at the conclusion of his senior year, skating in three AHL contests to close out the 2011-12 season.

In 165 career games with the Wolverines, Glendening totaled 70 points (31-39—70), a plus-57 rating and 122 penalty minutes, while earning several team and conference honors. After being named an alternate captain as a sophomore, the 23-year-old served as captain in his final two seasons, becoming the eighth player in school history to captain the team for multiple seasons.

As a senior, Glendening captured the CCHA Best Defensive Forward award, beating out Notre Dame’s Riley Sheahan, who appeared in seven late-season contests with Grand Rapids in 2011-12. He also received the team’s Howard Colby Award for sportsmanship in his junior and senior seasons.

Glendening earned a scholarship in each of his four years at Michigan after initially walking onto the team and winning the most improved player award in his first season. The 5-foot-11, 193-pound forward also received the University of Michigan’s Athletic Academic Achievement award and was named a National Strength and Conditioning Association All-American as a junior. That same season, he contributed to the Wolverines’ CCHA regular-season championship and appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four title game.

A 2007 graduate of East Grand Rapids High School, Glendening played hockey, baseball and football for the Pioneers, helping the school win the first of five straight Division 3 football state championships in 2006.