In less than a week, Oilers legend Glenn Anderson will receive an honor that’s long overdue. And when he is officially welcomed into the Hockey Hall of Fame, I’d love to seem him freak out the starched shirts in attendance with a speech as unpredictable and colorful as he was during his memorable career.
That Anderson was labeled a “space cadet” as a player because of his unconventional nature is more of a comment on the ultra-authoritative nature of those who govern the game than it is on the man himself.
In fact, when I spoke to Anderson for The Hockey News’ Top 60 Since 1967 book (in which a panel of observers ranked him as the 55th best player in the post-expansion NHL) I found him to be personable, witty — and most importantly, worldly in a way that’s extremely rare among any elite-level hockey player I’ve ever dealt with.
That natural curiosity about topics other than hockey revealed itself in virtually every decision Anderson made.
Although he was drafted by Edmonton 69th overall in 1979, his primary goal initially wasn’t to make the NHL, but rather, to play for his homeland in the Olympics and to travel as part of the Canadian National team.
That decision didn’t endear him to those hockey authorities who believe every player should have a singular focus on the game — at the expense of even cursory knowledge of the world around them — but Anderson was comfortable enough in his own skin that he stuck to his guns.
Even after all his success with the Oilers, Anderson maintained his love for the international game, to the point he negotiated the option to play in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics into his pro contract. The NHL ultimately denied him the opportunity, but couldn’t stop him from using the game to see the world once his days in that league were done; he would go on to play in Germany, Finland, Italy and Switzerland before retiring in 1997.
For all his brilliance scoring key goals in the NHL, Anderson didn’t let it define him as a person. And when he sees his plaque put up in Toronto, it would be perfect to see him underscore his individualism one last time.
