Cade Neilson’s return to the Glasgow Clan feels like the perfect fit for the team and player, alike, with plenty on the line down the final stretch in a fascinating Elite League season.
Previously talked about as Team Great Britain’s next great star (an unfitting comparison for both players, who are only separated in age by two years), the 23-year-old touches back down in Scotland after a so-so time of it in the ECHL – the third level of hockey in North America – with the struggling Utah Grizzlies.
Neilson first burst onto the scene at the IIHF 2022 World Championship, when he posted five points (two goals, three assists) in seven appearances against elite-level opposition – all without Kirk on the roster, who missed the tournament through injury.
Logan Neilson, Team GB (Image: Dean Woolley)
His fine form on the international stage continued a year later, lifting Team GB back out of Division 1A with eight points (five goals, three assists) in five appearances against the likes of Poland, Italy, Romania, South Korea, and Lithuania.
Not bad for a player with zero professional experience and only two points at the collegiate level following a difficult debut season with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Neilson returned to form at the club level in 2023-24, sinking 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 31 appearances for Alaska-Fairbanks, but underwhelmed in Team GB’s World Championship return, scoring once in seven appearances on route to relegation back to Division 1A.
The Lafayette-born forward turned professional this term, starting with a successful four-game spell with the Clan before scoring 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) for ECHL Utah.
Neilson returns to Scotland with plenty to prove – and a fantastic opportunity to do just that.
What are Cade Neilson’s core strengths?
Neilson is an explosive offensive player who dominated in the North American Hockey League, with 147 points (47 goals, 100 assists) in 159 appearances for the Aberdeen Wings, while a standout performer in the junior ranks.
The 23-year-old signed a short-term deal with the Clan in September 2024 (in anticipation of his planned move to the ECHL), hitting five points (two goals, three assists) in five appearances.
“School didn’t quite work out for me as I still have aspirations to play professional hockey in North America, but coming to Clan is the perfect place for me to begin my career,” Neilson said at the time.
In his brief time in Glasgow, Neilson fit the mould of a top-six Elite League centreman, winning his faceoff battles narrowly (51-50) while mainly keeping out of the penalty box (six minutes in eight games).
“Cade is a great young prospect,” Clan head coach Corey Neilson said of his son.
“He skates well, has skill and competes hard in all three zones plus he is a high hockey IQ player that has worked himself up to be the GB number one centreman.”
Why has Cade Neilson returned to the Elite League with the Glasgow Clan?
When Neilson inked his short-term deal with the Clan in the autumn, he committed his ‘Elite League rights’ to Glasgow for the next three seasons.
In other words, he would return to Glasgow if his pursuit of success in North America didn’t work out as planned.
And it didn’t.
The Grizzlies are 16-24-6 on the season, ranking 25th out of 29 in the ECHL, and fell out of playoff contention before the festive period set in.
Neilson impressed in moments, but finished his time in Utah in the midst of an eight-game pointless streak.
What will Cade Neilson add to the Glasgow Clan?
The Clan are in a three-way battle to secure one of the final two playoff places in the Elite League. They’re seventh ahead of round twenty-three, eight points above the ninth-place Manchester Storm and in pole position to make the postseason.
Neilson’s return adds offensive quality and depth to a roster that has struggled to put the puck in the net this term.
Glasgow rank third-last in the league for goals scored (107) – and that’s despite averaging 35.8 shots per game, making the Clan the second-most trigger-happy team in the competition.
Corey Neilson, Glasgow Clan (Image: James Assinder)
“There was always a strong possibility that Cade would return to Glasgow,” said head coach Neilson. “He really enjoyed the city, the club, and his team-mates, so when the time came for this decision, it was a no-brainer for me to bring him back. He provides more offensive depth for this group that sometimes struggles to score, so we’re very pleased that he will finish up the season with us.”
There’s never a bad time to add a hungry point-producer to your line-up – which is exactly what the Clan have in Neilson.
Expect him to add scoring from the middle-six, as he prepares for a season-defining run at 2025 IIHF Division 1A World Championship with Team GB in the spring.
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