Glenn Anderson’s Wait is Over

Former six time Stanley Cup winner, Glenn Anderson, finally got that magical phone call this past summer, informing this 498 goal scorer that he has been elected into the ultimate shrine — The Hockey Hall Of Fame. Last week Anderson finally made it is own party in the Hall!

“Ever since I got the call on June 17, it’s something I’d like to soak in and remember forever,” said the Vancouver native, who was an important part of the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup dynasty in the 1980’s. “As you get closer to the day, you reflect on the history of how it transpired. How did I get where I am? Where did I come from? These are the questions you ask yourself.”

Anderson, who will be joining five of his Oilers teammates, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr as honored members, admits that he still doesn’t know what to say in his induction speech on Monday night.

Without question, Anderson, who over his career scored 1099 points with the Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues, was the best fourth round pick in the history of the NHL.

Over his career, Anderson was known as a real clutch player, who always produced come playoff time. In 225 play-off games this winger, who was known for cutting to the net, scored 93 goals, which ranks fifth all time. He also registered 121 assists for a grand total of 214 play-off points, which place him fourth all time.

Individual number aside, the number one highlight for Anderson, in his stellar career, was being part of the five Stanley Cups won by the Oilers in their heyday.

“The draft pulled that team together, and the players revolved around Gretzky,” Anderson said. “When you’re playing with the best player in the world, you start doing things you never dreamed about doing.”

After a stint with the Leafs, Anderson was traded in March 1994 to the New York Rangers, where he won his sixth and final Stanley Cup ring.

Prior to his NHL career Anderson spent the 1979/80 campaign playing with Canada’s national team, which had its headquarters in Calgary . He also experienced the heartbreak of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, when Canada lost to the Russians, who – of course – lost gold to the Americans.

On the international circuit Anderson participated in two Canada Cups and two world championships, and had a stint with two European clubs, before retiring in 1997.

“I know there’s a plaque,” he said about getting into the hall. “I hear there’s ghosts in the hall, and I imagine my picture looking right at Father Bauer or Glen Sather (when we’re) ghosts at some point in time, when we’re no longer here and the lights are out, and Slats saying, ‘It’s past curfew — you’d better go back to bed.’

Currently Anderson resides in New York, where he works with the New York Rangers in PR. He will be going in on Monday with former Russian and NHL star, Igor Larionov, former official, Ray Scapinello and builder, Ed Chynoweth.

Approximately three months from now Anderson will, once again, be having his career celebrated, as the Edmonton Oilers plan to retire his number 9 jersey prior to a match against the Phoenix Coyotes.

“This (going into the Hall of Fame) and the banner in Edmonotn are two different scenarios completely,” he said. “My tenure was mostly with the Oilers, but my hockey career was not just in the professional ranks in North America .

 

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