Craig Anderson deserves your vote for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game
Craig Anderson could be the 2017 NHL All-Star Game’s John Scott. Here’s why a great goalie and man deserves your vote.
Part of the magic of the 2016 NHL All-Star Game was due to the inclusion of John Scott. Beloved by all of his former teammates, seeing him have one last wonderful experience in the NHL was beautiful. However, thanks to recent voting regulations, there won’t be another John Scott in the All-Star Game.
But this doesn’t mean fans can’t elect a very deserving candidate who has also been a terrific feel good story. In fact, there’s one in the NHL right now: Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson.
Consider this writer aboard that bandwagon. Are there better players in the Atlantic Division than Anderson? Absolutely, he’s not even the best goalie in his division. That would be Carey Price. You could make a strong argument Tuukka Rask is more deserving as well. However, Anderson is still a very deserving All-Star. As of Dec. 1, he ranks 11th among goaltenders with a .930 save percentage.
Perhaps no goalie in the NHL other than Price has been more important to his team this season. The Senators allow 31.1 shots against per game, putting them in the top 10 for the most in the NHL. They also allow 59.0 shot attempts against per 60 minutes during all situations, the sixth most in the league. Keep in mind goalies generally react to any attempt, even those that don’t get through or aren’t on target. Anderson has arguably been his team’s MVP. If it’s not him, it’s perennial Norris Trophy candidate Erik Karlsson. Being second to him is nothing to be ashamed about.
More importantly, Craig Anderson has been doing this under very special circumstances. His wife has a rare throat cancer and is getting treatment for it. The Senators have rallied around Anderson and his wife, making for arguably the best storyline in the NHL this season. As great of a goalie as he has been this season, he’s been an even better husband and human being. Anderson has taken an indefinite leave from the Senators to be with his ailing wife. Ottawa deserves a lot of credit for putting family before hockey. Few things are more important than one’s career, but family is certainly one of them.
The world of sports is full of controversy these days. There are teams who employ athletes who have been accused of driving drunk, abusing loved ones and other horrible acts. And then there’s Craig Anderson, a shining beacon for many. He gives hope to a lot of people, showing that sometimes, nice guys can finish in first. You can vote for Anderson here up to 10 times for each 24 hour period.
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Sadly, getting elected to the NHL All-Star Game as the Atlantic Division captain might be Anderson’s only hope. Price (.947 save percentage) and Rask (.939 save percentage) are showing no signs of slowing down. It remains to be seen exactly how long Craig Anderson will be out for. However, the more he doesn’t play, the stronger the cases of his adversaries will be. Also working against him is each division can only have two goaltenders.
Including Anderson will likely involve leaving out a deserving goaltender, whether it’s Price or (most likely) Rask. That’s fine. Because Anderson is a deserving candidate as well, both on and off the ice. He’s the type of man who deserves to be have a wonderful thing happen to him.