Glenn Anderson

[Eye of Ra]

When people talk about the Oilers in the 80s they talk about Messier, Gretzky, Kurri, Coffey and Fuhr. Not much is heard about Glenn.

What was Glenn Anderson on the ice? A powerforward? Was he as good as his stats suggest or was he just a product of Messier?

Do you guys think that if Glenn was in his prime today he would have any impact in NHL?

Just asking out of curiosity.

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[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'm sure I wasn't the only one expecting this to be a hiring...

Glenn was the guy you counted on when you needed a key goal. Either the winner or the insurance marker.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Great skater and tough as nails. Loved watching him sweep around the defender from the wing to score those huge goals. Big, timely goals were his specialty, especially in overtime. Great player.

 

[Raoul Duke]

I'm sure I wasn't the only one expecting this to be a hiring...

That was my first thought.

 

[Beerfish]

Fantastic player, scored a TON of big goals. Was for sure not a product of the players around him. (5th all time in playoff GWG)

Perhaps the best player I've seen at driving right to the net with the puck.

He would spend a lot of time in the penalty box in todays NHL as he was pretty careless with his stick, often on purpose.

 

[Drivesaitl]

haha. Glenn Anderson certainly wasn't a product of Mark Messier. Anderson's game was ready to unpack from the word go and check the stats. He was an NHL producer before Messier was.. Actually it was Anderson that brought a lot of Euro play to the line and he had broader hockey horizons than Mark (who learned a lot from Gretz and Anderson)

Think about a cross between Ryan Smyth and Taylor Hall and a pitbull. A guy with ferocious determination to go to the net and slam into a goal post at top speed if it meant a goal. (goal posts didn't come off pegs back then in most collisions) Anderson would do anything for a goal and was supremely talented. Lots of beauty goals there. Few better than the end to end rush goal he scored to demoralize the Bruins in 1990 cup final. The Bruins figured they might have a chance this time playing the Oilers without Gretz. After watching Anderson cut through the entire Bruins team on the way to a spectacular goal the Bruins visibly sagged. A lot of them said it was depressing seeing that kind of talent was still on the Oilers club.




Anderson also scored a key closing goal in the 87 SC final in game 7 to lock the SC.

Next to Gretzky Anderson was the most amazing Oiler in their upstart defeat of the Montreal Canadiens in 81. Anderson turned a ton of hockey heads in that series.

Anderson was fearless, not a big player but played big and nothing would stop him from helping the team win. Check his playoff goal scoring stats. He was incredible. A player that always had an extra gear in the playoffs. One of the most fun to watch Oilers ever.

The REASON you don't hear much about him in the press is that they hated him. Matheson, Cole and Jones had a constant chip on their shoulder about the player who pulled an Al Montoya on them repeatedly refusing to speak to them (due to Jones and Cole being dismissive of him and the team) The press never got over this. The fans loved Glenn Anderson. That he didn't speak much to the media in this city was bonus points as far as I was concerned. Anderson had nerve on and off the ice. My kind of guy. heh.

More hilites showing Anderson could score anyway;

 

[Valhallis]

One of my favorite players since I was a little kid! He was always so nice to my sister and myself whenever we'd ask for an autograph. I remember always being in awe of his mustache and wanted the same one when I grew up haha. As mentioned he's always had a black mark from the media for not wanting to talk to them though it seems he's gotten better over the years. His no-fear style of hockey is something I wish we could inject into some of the players on the team currently.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

I expected this to be a hiring thread as well.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

One of the best Oilers to ever lace them up. Fearless, fast, would drive the net from the outside, think of McDavid but without that extra special gear that nobody has but McDavid. Was known for scoring absolute clutch goals and IIRC has or had or was tied for the record for the most playoff overtime goals in the NHL.

Scored my favourite Oiler goal of all time, the 3-1 goal in Game 7 vs the Flyers for the cup.

 

[Cloned]

Taylor Hall with better hands and hockey IQ.

 

[Fourier]

The current version of the Oilers could certainly use Glenn Anderson!!!

Anderson was a fantastic player on his own. Very much deserving of being in the HOF. Absolutely fearless and tough as nails. He was not a fighter but he was nasty to play against as he was not at all adverse to using the lumber.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Shhhhh OP! Don't give Oilers management any ideas!

If hes hired its all your fault.

 

[Stoneman89]

Arguably my favourite Oiler back in the days when one had a galaxy of stars to choose from. His take no prisoners swashbuckling style epitomized the Oilers every bit as much as Gretzky's uncanny quickness and vision and Paul Coffey's blinding speed. No one had more huge goals than #9 back in the day. And there were a lot of huge goals back then.

 

[Gord]

When people talk about the Oilers in the 80s they talk about Messier, Gretzky, Kurri, Coffey and Fuhr. Not much is heard about Glenn.

What was Glenn Anderson on the ice? A powerforward? Was he as good as his stats suggest or was he just a product of Messier?

Do you guys think that if Glenn was in his prime today he would have any impact in NHL?

Just asking out of curiosity.

with the way Katz runs thinks, I thought this thread was going to be about his getting hired on staff.

but seriously, I loved Anderson. there is no messier without him they were very complementary players. Anderson is very underrated.
the way he fearlessly drove to the net was awe inspiring, especially back in the day when the net were still on posts. you got hurt driving to the net in those days. also if anyone was going to raise their game to a higher level when needed, it was this guy.

when I was a kid I think he was my favorite oiler after Gretzky.
followed by Moog and Semenko.

 

[rboomercat90]

No thread about Glenn Anderson would be complete without mentioning his stick work and I don’t mean his ability to score goals. He was mean, plain and simple. Always had his stick up when players lined him up to hit him. There used to be a joke that he could carve out an eye at nine paces. How difficult it must have been to play against he and Messier. Not only could they beat you at will on the scoreboard but they were so intimidating when games got physical. Messier with his elbows and Anderson with his stick. Lol, it was such a different game back then. The suspensions those two would rack up today.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

One of my favorite players since I was a little kid! He was always so nice to my sister and myself whenever we'd ask for an autograph. I remember always being in awe of his mustache and wanted the same one when I grew up haha. As mentioned he's always had a black mark from the media for not wanting to talk to them though it seems he's gotten better over the years. His no-fear style of hockey is something I wish we could inject into some of the players on the team currently.

Went to an autograph signing in the early 80s with Anderson, Coffey, Gretz and Messier being there. Anderson was the most warm and welcoming to me that day. Won't forget how nice he was.

 

[MoneyGuy]

I have a photo of me, Glenn Anderson, the Stanley and Grey cups. That's a rare photo as there have been only three times the two cups were won by the same city in the same year. Ours was in 1987. The others were Toronto and Montreal, all in years ending in 7. That is my most cherished photo that I own. Don't tell Mrs. MG.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I have a photo of me, Glenn Anderson, the Stanley and Grey cups. That's a rare photo as there have been only three times the two cups were won by the same city in the same year. Ours was in 1987. The others were Toronto and Montreal, all in years ending in 7. That is my most cherished photo that I own. Don't tell Mrs. MG.

Deep in her heart, Mrs.MG knows the truth.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I liked Anderson as a player but a human being is a little further down the food chain. When he retired--most talking heads had him as a slam dunk hall of famer--they made him wait. There was a great comment from Hall a few years ago when Anderson was hanging around the players--guys like Gretz and few others ordered him to stay away from the kids on the team--there was a reason for it. If you were around in Edmonton club scene in the 80's you will have an Anderson story--

The Joyless End Of A Joyride

When that came out Anderson was the one guy who many had no problem suggesting he was one of them--

 

[Supermassive]

Having Andy was like having aces up your sleeve in the playoffs. He won big games for us. Everything Drivesaitl said. Absolute warrior. Something that doesn’t get mentioned enough - we were a vicious, mean team. Everyone could throw an elbow or hack an ankle, and we could make up for the penalties with elite scoring. Nobody kicked the crap out of us.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Yeah closest comparable I can think of was Hall. Less injury prone and more gritty.

He drove down the side like Hall, but drove to the net like a torpedo.

His finals in 87 in the was a thing of beauty. He owned Ron Hextall.

 

[Soundwave]

Oilers have 3 Cups instead of 5 without this guy. He is pretty underrated.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Underrated?

He's 4th alltime in playoff points.

I don't get how someone who's 4th could be underrated.


But yeah. HUGE part of those cup wins.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Being fourth all-time in playoff points while being overshadowed by Gretz, Messier, Kurri and Coffey is what makes him underrated.

 

[VainGretzky]

One of the fastest skaters in the early 80's what I liked about Anderson is he held his stick you came so high you came near him, without him with the puck , you were in danger of losing a eye . Great player and definate clutch as could be