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Glenn Anderson—The Loose Cannon

When it comes to scoring clutch goals, there was no Oiler greater than Glenn Anderson. Not even Jari Kurri, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier could match Anderson’s flair for the dramatic. His five career playoff overtime goals is second only to Maurice Richard’s six OT game-winners in National Hockey League (NHL) history. His 17 playoff game-winning goals places him fifth on the NHL’s all-time list.

Glenn AndersonAnderson, born in Vancouver on October 2, 1960, first showed his skills in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Anderson was one of the most impressive forwards in Team Canada’s lineup. Playing at the University of Denver, Anderson attracted the attention of the Oilers’ scouts the year before and drafted him with the team’s fourth pick in the 1979 draft.

He debuted with the Oilers in 1980-81 and impressed by scoring 30 goals in just 58 games with the club. Anderson was famous for his straight-line skating speed and his uncanny ability to stop and turn on a dime. Confident of his abilities, Anderson would often skate full-bore towards the net, and intimidate the opposing goaltender in the process. Glenn AndersonAnderson was so confident he could cut away from the net at the last possible second, he played his own personal games of "chicken" with opposing net minders.

Anderson would remain with the Oilers until 1990-91, with a brief curtain call before his retirement in 1996. Much of his Oilers career was successful: he won five Cups with the Oilers, reached the 50-goal plateau twice (he scored 54 times in both 1983-84 and 1985-86) and registered an impressive 906 career points with the Oilers in 845 career games with the team.

Although a good player on the ice, Anderson was always a loose cannon off it, as he would regularly infuriate coach and general manager Glen Sather with his antics in practice.  He would also famously use a take-life-as-it-comes attitude with reporters who covered the team. But when it came to game time, his intensity was never questioned.

Glenn Anderson"There are a few moments that stand out," recalled Anderson. “I think I had my best moments in our playoff series against Chicago," a 1985 playoff series that saw the Oilers score a whopping 44 goals in six games. "I scored a lot of goals in those."

"But I really think the entire 11 years I spent in Edmonton make up a pretty good memory for me. Those were my best years in hockey."

After leaving the Oilers, Anderson spent parts of three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, before moving on to New York. Anderson won a sixth Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994, and also spent time with the St. Louis Blues.  He finished his career earning 1,099 points.

Traveling with other teams in the NHL, Anderson knows that his fondest memories were in Edmonton. "The bond between the guys was very special," said Anderson. "There was a closeness between us, the likes I have not seen on any other team I’ve played for. I can’t say enough about the closeness between the guys. There wasn’t anything we wouldn’t have done for each other."

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