Anderson, Larionov named to hockey hall
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 | 5:48 PM ET
CBC Sports
Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Anderson won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers. (Mike Powell/Getty Images) Flashy NHL forwards Glenn Anderson and Igor Larionov were selected Tuesday for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Inductions will take place Nov. 10 in Toronto, where the shrine is located.
Anderson, 47, compiled 498 goals and 601 assists for 1,099 points in 1,129 games over 16 NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.
Born in Vancouver and raised in Burnaby, B.C., he won six Stanley Cups — five with the Oilers and one with the Rangers.
An explosive skater and gifted scorer, he tallied at least 30 goals eight times in nine seasons with the Oilers, notching 54 in 1983-84 and again in 1985-86.
"It is very emotional," he said. "This is right up there with one of the great things I have done in life."
Anderson was drafted 69th overall by Edmonton in 1979, and was a teammate of Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri and Mark Messier during the dynasty years.
"Those guys are just unbelievable hockey players," said Anderson, a four-time all-star.
"You don't realize how good of a hockey player you are until you get a chance to play with them."
"It is definitely well deserved and long overdue," Gretzky said of Anderson's selection.
"I don't think there was a better playoff-pressure player, other than maybe Rocket Richard. His championships and statistics speak for themselves and, more importantly, he was an unselfish teammate."
Larionov played professional hockey until he was 42, first in his native Russia and later in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils.
"I was really overwhelmed by the news," Larionov said. "Obviously, it is a big, big honour to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"A month ago, my mother passed away and it is an emotional time for me. I wish she was around — today is great news and I called my dad and it was great."
Larionov rose to prominence as the No. 1 centre on the Soviet Union's national team, flanked by legendary Russian wingers Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov.
Larionov was 29 years old by the time Russian players began trickling to North America, but he still posted 169 goals and 644 points in 921 NHL games between 1989 and 2005.
He captured three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, plus four world championships, two Olympic gold medals and the 1991 Canada Cup with Russian teams.
"Those eight seasons in Detroit I played for the Red Wings, that was success, that was fun," Larionov said.
Scapinello, Chynoweth cited
Also to be inducted is former linesman Ray Scapinello, who officiated 20 Stanley Cups.
"I'm ecstatic," he said.
Scapinello, 61, never missed an assignment in 33 NHL seasons, officiating nearly 3,000 regular season and playoff games.
"When I started in this business, my mindset was to keep working, so I never could have imagined this," he said. "I'm very appreciative that Scotty Morrison [who oversaw referees] took a chance and gave me the opportunity to have so many enjoyable years in the NHL."
Ed Chynoweth, who passed away April 22 at the age of 66, was selected in the builder category.
Chynoweth helped form the Canadian Hockey League and served as president of the Western Hockey League for more than 20 years.
"It is a very special day for our family and very touching," Dean Chynoweth said. "I know my dad would be tickled to be going in the hall of fame at the same time [as the others]."
Among the media, Canadian Press reporter Neil Stevens is the recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for print journalism and Mike Emrick will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.
Players eligible to enter the hall over the next few years include shoo-ins like Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Joe Nieuwendyk, Luc Robitaille, Pierre Turgeon and Steve Yzerman.
With files from the Canadian Press
