| Glenn Anderson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2008 | |||
 Anderson in 2008 | |||
| Born | (1960-10-02)October 2, 1960 (age 64) Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Edmonton Oilers Toronto Maple Leafs New York Rangers St. Louis Blues Lukko Augsburger Panther HC La Chaux-de-Fonds | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 69th overall,1979 Edmonton Oilers | ||
| Playing career | 1980–1997 | ||
Medal record | |||
Glenn Chris Anderson (born October 2, 1960) is a Canadian former professionalice hockey player who played 16 seasons in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for theEdmonton Oilers,Toronto Maple Leafs,New York Rangers andSt. Louis Blues. Anderson was known for performing especially well in important games, which garnered him the reputation of a "money" player. His five playoffovertime goals rank third in NHL history, while his 17 playoff game-winning goals put him fifth all-time. During the playoffs, Anderson accumulated 93 goals, 121 assists, and 214 points, the fourth, ninth, and fourth most in NHL history. Anderson is also first all-time in regular season game-winning goals in Oilers history with 72.
At a young age, Anderson admired the European aspects of the game. He was known to have a liking for participating in international tournaments, more so than his NHL contemporaries. When he was drafted by the Oilers in 1979, he chose to play forTeam Canada at the1980 Winter Olympics instead of immediately joining the Oilers. Anderson won gold at the1984 and the1987 Canada Cup and he was a silver medalist at the1989Ice Hockey World Championships. During his NHL career, Anderson was part of six Stanley Cup-winning teams (winning his first five as a member of the Oilers and his last as a member of the Rangers), and he was a participant at fourAll-Star Games. He is one of only seven Oilers players to have won all five Cups in franchise history. In 1996 he played for Team Canada in theSpengler Cup Tournament, often referred to as the Stanley Cup of Europe. Despite having the flu with a high fever, Glenn rallied as soon as his skates were laced and was voted unanimously as the MVP of the tournament. They hoisted the Cup for Canada and took the lounging photo on the ice surrounding the Spengler Cup which was Glenn’s idea when the Oilers won their first cup and has since become a tradition. Anderson was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame on November 10, 2008, and his jersey number, 9, was retired by the Oilers on January 18, 2009. On December 11, 2023, Anderson was named Head Coach and General Manager of thePowell River Kings of theBCHL.[1]
Anderson was born inVancouver,[2] and raised inBurnaby,British Columbia.[3] His father, Magnus, was aNorwegian immigrant and his mother, Anne, was ofUkrainian origin.[4] He has two brothers (Allan and David) and a sister (Pam).[4][5] As a young child, Glenn did not enjoy the game ofice hockey. His first-ever goal was in his own net.[6] By the age of 12 he felt he had a gift and honed his skills as his love of the game increased with his joy of powerful skating. As a youth, he and teammateKen Berry played in the 1972Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with aminor ice hockey team from Burnaby.[7]
Growing up, Glenn played hockey with childhood friends, Andy Hill, the Berry boys, and Michael J. Fox, (who became an award-winning actor). Anderson's hockey idol was his favourite player,Alexander Yakushev of the Soviet team, whom he had watched during the1972 Summit Series.[8] Glenn eventually produced the one hour acclaimed documentary "To Russia With Love", released in September 2012, about the way Russia changed the Canadian ice hockey game.[9]
Anderson began his junior hockey career with theBellingham Blazers of theBritish Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) during the 1977–78 season. In 64 games, Anderson recorded 62 goals, 69 assists, and 131 points, the third-most goals and eighth-most points in the league.[10] To top off his lone season in the BCJHL, he was named to the league's Second All-Star Team.[11]
In 1978–79, Anderson was recruited to play for the hockey team of theUniversity of Denver in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) byMarshall Johnston, the University team's head coach. Anderson played in 41 games and led the team in points with 55.
In the1979 NHL Entry Draft, Anderson was drafted 69th overall by theEdmonton Oilers of theNational Hockey League (NHL).[12] He opted to play forTeam Canada during the1980 Winter Olympics inLake Placid.[5]Father David Bauer, in charge of the national team program, accepted Anderson. Father Bauer's influence on Anderson was significant as he would cite him as a major reason for his later success.[12][13] The team toured the world playing different opponents in preparation for the Olympics. The practice Anderson received during this time helped "greatly improve" his skills.[4] Anderson scored four points in six games during the tournament.
The Canadian National Team program was discontinued in the Fall of 1980.[5] Facing a choice of whether to rejoin the University of Denver or to join the Oilers, Anderson chose the latter. Making his professionaldebut with the Oilers, Anderson recorded 30 goals, 23 assists, and 53 points in 58 games in his first season.[14] The Oilers made the playoffs that year and defeated theMontreal Canadiens in the preliminary round, three games to none. This was deemed a huge upset since the Canadiens had finished eleven spots higher than the Oilers in the overall standings. The Oilers moved on to the quarter-finals where they were defeated in six games by the eventualStanley Cup champions,New York Islanders.[15] During the playoff run, Anderson scored 12 points in 9 games, establishing himself as a "fierce" playoff performer.[5] Anderson'ssophomore season saw him record career highs in both assists and points with 67 and 105, respectively.[14] His team jumped from fourth place to first place in theSmythe Division. In the playoffs, the Oilers were the victims of one of the biggest upsets in hockey history.
In thefollowing season, Anderson tallied 48 goals and 56 assists for a total of 104 points to help the Oilers remain atop their division.[14] In the playoffs, the Oilers managed to advance to theStanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.[16] Anderson and his team were matched up against the Islanders who were looking for a fourth consecutiveStanley Cup victory. During theFinals, Anderson had several noted run-ins with IslandersgoaltenderBilly Smith. During game one, a slash on Anderson's knee earned Smith a two-minute slashingpenalty.[17] In game four, when the two crashed into each other, Smith's dive resulted in refereeAndy Van Hellemond handing a five-minute penalty to Anderson.[18][19] The season ended in disappointment for the Oilers as they were defeated in four games in a best of seven series.[20] Anderson's team would cite the loss as a valuable lesson in their quest for their first Stanley Cup.[21]
The Oilers again repeated as division champions in1983–84. Anderson set a career high in goals with 54 and he made his firstAll-Star Game appearance.[14][22] In the playoffs, the Oilers made their second consecutiveFinals appearance.[23] Once again, Anderson and his team faced the Islanders who were now looking to become the second team in NHL history to win five consecutive Stanley Cups.[24] This time though, the Oilers emerged victorious in five games. This marked the end of the Islanders' dynasty and the beginning of the Oilers' dynasty.[25] Anderson scored 17 points in the playoffs.[14]
At the beginning of the1984–85 season, Anderson signed an eight-year contract with the Oilers.[26][27] Anderson recorded 42 goals and 81 points and once more his team was the division champions.[14] Anderson was also selected to play in theAll-Star Game.[22] For the third straight season, the Oilers reached theFinals. The Oilers defeated their opponent, thePhiladelphia Flyers, in five games.[28] Anderson set a career-high in assists with 16 during the playoff run.[14] The1985–86 season saw Anderson score 54 goals, and 48 assists, adding up to 102 points. This was the second time Anderson had reached the 50-goal plateau in his career and the third time he had reached the 100-point plateau. He was also selected to play in his third consecutiveAll-Star Game.[22] For the fifth consecutive season, the Oilers sat atop the Smythe Division. However, the Oilers were eliminated in the division finals by the Calgary Flames on an own goal bydefencemanSteve Smith.[29] The loss did not seem to faze Anderson and his team, as they won their third Cup thenext season by beating the Flyers once again, but this time in seven games.[30] Anderson set career highs in goals (14), points (27) andPIM (59) during the playoff run.[14]
The Oilers failed to win the division title in1987–88 for the first time since the 1981–82 season, as they finished runner-up to the Calgary Flames. Anderson scored 88 points during the season and he was selected to play in theAll-Star Game.[14] During the1988 playoffs, Anderson's friend, George Varvis, died after having a heart attack in Anderson's pool. His friend's death inspired his on-ice production. He scored 9 goals and 16 assists for a total of 25 points to help the Oilers win their fourth Cup.[31] His 16 assists tied a career-high.[14] After being eliminated from the playoffs, Anderson chose to play for Team Canada at theWorld Championships in Sweden.[32]
Looking to rebound after a disappointing season, Anderson and his team made a surprise appearance in theFinals. The Oilers defeated their opponents, the Boston Bruins, in five games to win their fifth Stanley Cup.[33] Anderson scored 22 points and became one of only seven players to be a part of the entire Oilers dynasty.[14][34] Wanting to rebuild the team with a younger core, the Oilers were involved in a blockbuster trade before the start of the 1991–92 season with theToronto Maple Leafs that included seven players. Anderson, along withGrant Fuhr andCraig Berube, were sent to Toronto in exchange forScott Thornton,Vincent Damphousse,Luke Richardson,Peter Ing and future considerations.[35]
During his time with the Oilers, Anderson scored 417 goals, 489 assists, and 906 points, ranking him third, fourth, and fourth most respectively in franchise history. His 183 playoff points are fourth all-time in franchise history and his 126powerplay goals are the most in franchise history.[36]
Anderson spent two seasons and part of another with the Maple Leafs. He recorded consecutive 20-goal seasons and he reached the career milestone of 1000 points with them.[37] During the Maple Leafs playoff run in1992–93, Anderson recorded 18 points in 21 games, including an overtime goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Kings, which gave the Leafs a 3–2 series lead but turned out to be their last win of the season.[14]
In1993–94, Anderson played 73 games with the Maple Leafs before being traded to theNew York Rangers forMike Gartner.[38] In New York, Anderson was reunited with many of his former teammates from his days in Edmonton. The Rangers featured six former Oilers, including future Hall of Famer and Anderson's long-time friend and linemateMark Messier.[39] The Rangers qualified for the playoffs and were able to advance to theFinals. Matched up against theVancouver Canucks, the Rangers defeated them in seven games. This was the Rangers' first Stanley Cup victory since1940.[40] After being held scoreless in the previous rounds, Anderson scored three playoff goals in the Finals, two of them being game-winners. This would be Anderson's sixth Stanley Cup victory.[5]
Due to the1994–95 NHL lock-out, Anderson went toEurope to play hockey. He played with theAugsburger Panther of theDeutsche Eishockey Liga inGermany and theLukko Rauma of theSM-liiga inFinland, as well as the Canadian National Team. After the lock-out was resolved, Anderson signed as a free agent with theSt. Louis Blues and played 42 regular season and playoff games combined.[41] At the end of the season, Anderson did not re-sign with the Blues. After playing part of the next season with Augsburger and the National Team again, Anderson signed with the Canucks as a free agent. His reasons for joining the team were because of former Oiler teammateEsa Tikkanen already playing there and a desire to finish his career in his hometown.[42] However, Anderson never played for the Canucks as the Oilers picked him up onre-entry waivers.[5] Anderson expressed his disappointment at these turn of events, as he wanted to play in Vancouver instead.[42] He spent 17 games with the Oilers, before being put on waivers that same season. The Blues claimed him and he spent his last days in the NHL with them. The 1996–97 season saw Anderson return to Europe and play withHC La Chaux-de-Fonds of theNational League A inSwitzerland and withBolzano HC of theAlpenliga inItaly.
Anderson was known to have a liking for participating in international competitions. His first test at the international stage was during the1980 Winter Olympics inLake Placid,New York.Canada finished sixth in the tournament while Anderson scored four points in six games. Later on, Anderson credited the practice he received in preparation for the Olympics as a key to his future success in the NHL.[4]
Anderson was chosen to participate in the1984 Canada Cup. The roster included eight of Anderson's teammates from theEdmonton Oilers.[43] Canada advanced to the finals and defeatedSweden 2–0 in a best of three series to win the Cup.[44] Anderson scored five points during the tournament.[14] The1987 Canada Cup also saw Anderson participate. Once more, Canada reached the finals, but this time they were up against theSoviet Union. The finals required all three games as Canada defeated the Soviet Union. The first two games needed overtime and all three had a final score of 6–5.[45] Anderson recorded three points during the tournament.
In1989, Anderson played at theIce Hockey World Championships for the first time.[46] With four points in six games,[14] Anderson helped Canada win the silver medal, as the Soviets took home the gold.[47] Three years later, Anderson made his second and final appearance at theWorld Ice Hockey Championships, this time inCzechoslovakia. Canada was eliminated byFinland in the quarterfinals by a score of 4–3. Anderson registered three points during the tournament.[14]
Wanting to participate in the Olympics again, Anderson did what he could to play at the1994 Winter Olympics inLillehammer,Norway. He negotiated a clause with his team, theToronto Maple Leafs, to grant him the right to play for Team Canada. The league instituted a new policy, later stating, that only players with less than one year ofNational Hockey League experience could join the Olympics and therefore Anderson was told on his way to Norway, that he would not play in the NHL if he chose to play in the Olympics. He did not get on the plane. The league's decision caused outrage inCanada.[48] Canada won silver as they lost the gold medal game to Sweden.[49] The NHL released its players for thefollowing games in Nagano.
"He was the kind of player who, the bigger the game, the better he performed"
Anderson was noted for his aggressive "to the net" playing style, typifying the NHL power forward in the early 1980s. He credits coachClare Drake's drills during his time with the Olympic team for his love of driving the net. He also liked to stay behind the net and pass to his teammates in front of the goal for scoring chances.[51] Noted as a "money" player, Anderson was able to elevate his game in high-pressure situations.[52] He scored five playoff overtime goals and 17 playoff game-winning goals, good for third and fifth all-time in NHL history.[5] During the playoffs, Anderson accumulated 93 goals, 121 assists, and 214 points, the fourth, ninth and fourth most in NHL history.[53][54][55] In addition, his 72 regular season game-winning goals with the Oilers put him first all-time in franchise history.[36]
Anderson was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame on November 10, 2008, in the players category.[56] Hisjersey number 9 was retired on January 18, 2009, by the Oilers, before a game against thePhoenix Coyotes.[57] The date for Anderson's number retirement was specifically selected because his former Oilers teammates, Wayne Gretzky and Grant Fuhr, were serving as the Coyotes' head coach and goaltending coach respectively at the time.[51]
Anderson resides inManhattan, New York with his wife Susan, and their daughter, Autumn. He is retired but teaches and runs fantasy camps, which give fans a chance to play hockey alongside him. Anderson also appears as a commentator and analyst for many programs as well as theNew York Rangers.[58]
Anderson was a participant inseason one ofBattle of the Blades. Anderson and his partner,Isabelle Brasseur, were the second pair to be eliminated from the competition. For their efforts, Brasseur's charity, theHeart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and Anderson's charity, theCross Cancer Institute, each received a $12,500 donation.[59] Anderson or “Andy” as his hockey team brothers call him, did not shave the toe pick down on the figure skates as most of the hockey players had done and he tripped on it trying to be authentic despite never having skated on figure skates.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1977–78 | Bellingham Blazers | BCJHL | 64 | 62 | 69 | 131 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | New Westminster Bruins | WCHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | University of Denver | WCHA | 41 | 26 | 29 | 55 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Canada | Intl | 49 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Seattle Breakers | WHL | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 58 | 30 | 23 | 53 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 12 | ||
| 1981–82 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 38 | 67 | 105 | 71 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1982–83 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 72 | 48 | 56 | 104 | 70 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 32 | ||
| 1983–84 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 54 | 45 | 99 | 65 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 33 | ||
| 1984–85 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 42 | 39 | 81 | 69 | 18 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 38 | ||
| 1985–86 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 72 | 54 | 48 | 102 | 90 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 14 | ||
| 1986–87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 35 | 38 | 73 | 65 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 59 | ||
| 1987–88 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 38 | 50 | 88 | 58 | 19 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 49 | ||
| 1988–89 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 16 | 48 | 64 | 93 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 1989–90 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 73 | 34 | 38 | 72 | 107 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 20 | ||
| 1990–91 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 74 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 59 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 41 | ||
| 1991–92 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 24 | 33 | 57 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 22 | 43 | 65 | 117 | 21 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 31 | ||
| 1993–94 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 73 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | New York Rangers | NHL | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 42 | ||
| 1994–95 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 36 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 49 | ||
| 1994–95 | Augsburger Panther | DEL | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Lukko | SM-I | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Canada | Intl | 26 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Canada | Intl | 11 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 17 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 15 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1995–96 | Augsburger Panther | DEL | 9 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Bolzano HC | AL | 6 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | HC La Chaux–de–Fonds | NDA | 23 | 14 | 35 | 49 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals[14] | 1,129 | 498 | 601 | 1,099 | 1,120 | 225 | 93 | 121 | 214 | 442 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Canada | OLY | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1984 | Canada | CC | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | |
| 1987 | Canada | CC | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1989 | Canada | WC | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1992 | Canada | WC | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 | |
| Senior totals[14] | 33 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 44 | |||
1996 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland
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