Anderson did a lot of scoring and winning during an NHL career that earned him induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.
The Edmonton Oilers selected the Vancouver native in the fourth round (No. 69) of the 1979 NHL Draft. He spent 1979-80 with the Canadian National Team and played for Canada at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics before turning pro with the Oilers in 1980-81.
Anderson scored 30 goals as a rookie, helping the second-year Oilers advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was a 100-point scorer in each of the next two seasons and had the first of his two 54-goal seasons in 1983-84, when he finished with 99 points. Anderson also contributed 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) to help the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, their first of five in a span of seven seasons.
His second 54-goal season came in 1985-86 and coincided with his third and final 100-point season. Anderson finished with 73 points (35 goals, 38 assists) in 1986-87 and 88 (38 goals, 50 assists) in 1987-88, but had his two best playoff performances with 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games in 1987 and 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 1988, helping the Oilers win their third and fourth Stanley Cup title.
Anderson had another big postseason in 1990, finishing with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 22 games, becoming one of seven members of the Oilers to play on all five championship teams.
But after Anderson dropped to 55 points (24 goals, 31 assists) in 1990-91, the Oilers traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 19, 1991. He scored 24 and 22 goals the next two seasons with Toronto and was traded to the New York Rangers on March 21, 1994. Less than three months later, Anderson was a Stanley Cup champion for the sixth time after helping the Rangers win it all for the first time since 1940. He scored three goals in 23 playoff games, but two of the three were game-winners in the Final against the Vancouver Canucks.
Anderson signed with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 13, 1995, was claimed on waivers by the Oilers on Jan. 25, 1996, but returned to the Blues on a waiver claim less than seven weeks later. He retired after the 1995-96 season with 1,099 points (498 goals, 601 assists) in 1,129 NHL games and 214 points (93 goals, 121 assists) in 225 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Anderson is fourth all-time in playoff scoring and fifth in goals.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Oilers retired his No. 9 on Jan. 18, 2009.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- BCJHL Second All-Star Team (1978)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988)
- Traded to Toronto by Edmonton with Grant Fuhr and Craig Berube for Vincent Damphousse, Peter Ing, Scott Thornton and Luke Richardson, September 19, 1991.
- Traded to NY Rangers by Toronto with Toronto's 4th round pick (Alexander Korobolin) in 1994 NHL Draft and the rights to Scott Malone for Mike Gartner, March 21, 1994.
- Signed as a free agent by St. Louis, February 13, 1995.
- Signed as a free agent by Vancouver, January 22, 1996.
- Claimed on waivers by Edmonton from Vancouver, January 25, 1996.
- Claimed on waivers by St. Louis from Edmonton, March 12, 1996.