Ottawa Senators legendary net minder Craig Anderson has signed a one-day contract to have his retirement as a member of the team.
Today we take a look back at the career and statistics of goaltender Craig Anderson as he makes his retirement official. The 42-year-old Anderson signed a one-day contract to make the classic team preference he retires as, the Ottawa Senators. The ceremony is set for Tuesday’s game at the Canadian Tire Centre, as Ottawa hosts fittingly Anderson’s most recent team, the Buffalo Sabres. Now, it is unlikely that Anderson will make the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, to the fans of number 41, that does nothing to diminish his greatness. Let’s take a re-cap of his career, and why he is so special to the city of Ottawa.
Tomorrow night’s game closes another chapter in #Sens history as Craig Anderson calls it a career. Enjoy some of our favourite #Sens saves from the winningest goalie in franchise history, and make sure you arrive early for the pre-game celebration!
🎟️ : https://t.co/4MWFDguDqT pic.twitter.com/3rQzHUAB5L— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 23, 2023
A Great Performer Craig Anderson Announces His Retirement
First and foremost, one of the most simplest of statistics shows why the retirement of Anderson as a Senator is so important. That stat being games played. Anderson played over 150 regular season games more than number two on the list, Patrick Lalime.
With the Retirement of Craig Anderson Here a Look Back
It is worth mentioning, that when we did our top-ten Sens goalies of all time earlier this summer, Lalime took the title. Furthermore, this was largely dependent on his win percentage and GAA. Even with some adjustments, it was difficult for Anderson to overcome Lalime analytically. Back to Anderson, those games came over 10 seasons played as a Senator. If you check back through the goalies, no one played more than five seasons or sustained that rate of games per season. For example, Ray Emery played five seasons as a Senator but only managed 134 games. In contrast, it is much closer if we consider playoff contests. Lalime leads with 41, followed by Anderson (40), and Emery (30). Although where Anderson again dominates is SV% at .928 career in the playoffs. Lalime is close at .926, but nobody else is in the same ballpark.
Just How Dominant Was Craig Anderson?
Anderson was a very dominant goalie for the Senators, despite not playing on great teams. In fact, a good deal of his time in Ottawa was classified as a rebuild. Perhaps that is why it was so revered, as the last line of defence, literally, he often stood on his head. This could be an attestation to his SV%. Of the six other goalies that played 100+ games as a Senator, not one is within six-thousandths of Anderson’s .914. He faced a lot of shots on a nightly basis and still backed up with a respectable winning percentage. A .541 for his Senator career, and making the playoffs only four times, is a decent rate. Again, it was more of a product of the team in front of him.
Aside from the statistics, what makes the retirement of Anderson as a Sen so memorable and special? One season, or most specifically, postseason that stands out was the magical 2017 Stanley Cup playoff run. Ottawa was supposed to be thinking about a rebuild at this point, but there was undeniable and underrated talent on that team.
The 2017 Run
Even though players did not have huge seasons statistically, they did have some talented leaders. Those players include Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris, and a player in just his third full NHL season, Mark Stone. And of course, the team had Craig Anderson backstopping them. The team combined just enough skill and grit, with the Clarke MacArthurs or Ryan Dzingels to go on a run. They did ultimately come up short but gave the Pittsburgh Penguins everything they could handle and more. Pittsburgh would barely edge them four games to three in the Eastern Conference finals. The final contest was a hard-fought, well-contested double overtime battle.
During those playoffs, Anderson played all but 61 minutes of game time. All the while, facing over 31 shots a game, he posted a .922 SV%. It really was the shining moment for Anderson. In addition, given the lack of superstars throughout the lineup, it showcased Anderson as a star in his own right.
A Hero off the Ice as Well
The other side of Anderson that stands out as giving him legendary status, is his involvement off the ice. He was in the community, giving back, and was such a modest person. In October of 2016, when we discovered his wife was diagnosed with throat cancer, the entire city suffered. By May, as she graciously battled and overcame the terrible disease, everyone cheered right alongside. We always knew that he was there for us, so we would be there for him. For Anderson’s selfless efforts in the 2016-17 season, on and off the ice, he would take home the Bill Masteron Trophy. Perhaps the real hero here was his wife, Nicholle, who while battling insisted Craig return to the crease to help his team to the eventual playoff run.
An Ottawa Senator Legend, Craig Anderson, and His Retirement
Well, this is it, time to call it a career for Craig Anderson. The fact that he was still able to compete at the highest level until last season, must speak to his intelligence. His ability to read the play and come up with the big save. He will retire as only the 39th goalie in NHL history to surpass the 300-win mark, as he finished with 319. Here’s to a remarkable person off-the-ice, and a just as extraordinary goalie between the pipes. This event is an example of the management team led by Pierre Dorion, and the new owner, Michael Andlauer on doing things right.
Main photo: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
