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It’s been an emotional couple of days for former Chicago Wolves coach John Anderson who on Friday learned that good things do indeed come to those who wait.
Anderson, who was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1977 and played with the Leafs, Quebec Nordiques in his twelve- year career, has spent the past 13 years coaching in the minor leagues just itching for that one opportunity to get behind an NHL bench. His track record, which includes winning five championships and guiding the Chicago Wolves to the playoffs in 10 of the past 11 seasons, spoke volumes and attracted the attention of Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell to present him with an offer. “Sometimes you question yourself,” Anderson who will be the Thrashers fourth coach in franchise history said. “But I really think things happen for a reason.” “Being in the minors for 13 years made me a better coach, a stronger person, a better person.” “I thank my lucky stars for all those years.”
Anderson, whose former team the Wolves happen to be an affiliate of the Thrashers will be taking over for Waddell who at the beginning of the season fired Bob Hartley and took over the reins. “This is a new day, a new era for our franchise,” said Waddell whose team missed the playoffs by 18 points last season. “To be able to bring John on board is very exciting, especially coming off a Calder Cup championship.” “We had a tough year last year, but our reward is we get to draft a very good player tonight, someone who will hopefully be with us in the very near future and with this franchise for a very long time.”
What really impressed the general manager was the style Anderson used while coaching this spring and how his players held him in such high regard. “One thing that came from watching the games was how he adapted on the fly,” Waddell said. “If something wasn’t working, John would change the system.” “John would react and get the team to change immediately and play that new style.” “You can’t do that unless you’ve got them prepared that way.” Waddell wanted someone who could create harmony and good chemistry to the locker room, and the general manager is convinced that they have their man. “One thing that kept coming back up was how much the players loved playing for John,” said Waddell. “He treats them like men. “That’s a big factor for the players. You want them to have fun.” The 51 year-old comes into the NHL with an impressive 506-283-99 coaching record in his 13 year stint in the minor leagues.
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