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Josh Anderson (ice hockey)

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Josh Anderson
Anderson with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2016
Born (1994-05-07) May 7, 1994 (age 30)
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 226 lb (103 kg; 16 st 2 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams		 Montreal Canadiens
Columbus Blue Jackets
National team  Canada
NHL draft 95th overall, 2012
Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career 2014–present

Joshua Anderson (born May 7, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 95th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. A power forward known for speed and physicality, Anderson became known as "the Powerhorse".[1]

Internationally, Anderson plays for the Canada national team, and won a silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.

Playing career

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Early years

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Growing up in Burlington, Ontario, Anderson played both baseball and hockey. While eligible for the 2010 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Entry Draft, Anderson was passed over by all teams and returned to play midget with the Burlington Eagles of the South-Central Triple A Hockey League (SCTA).[2] Reflecting back on this, Anderson stated he expected to be passed over as he was undersized for 16.[3] During the 2010–11 season, he attracted the attention of the London Knights owners who invited him to try out for the team. His tryout was successful enough that he earned a spot on the 2011–12 season roster.[2]

Professional

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Columbus Blue Jackets

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Anderson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. While in his final junior season with London, Anderson was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets.[4] He made his NHL debut on January 16, 2015, against the New York Rangers.[5] During the 2015–16 season, Anderson underwent surgery to repair a small orbital fracture that had occurred during a preseason game, and was expected to miss up to four weeks to recover.[6] Despite his setback, Anderson scored his first NHL goal on January 9, 2016, against Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes.[7] He was returned to the American Hockey League (AHL) shortly thereafter where he helped lead Columbus' affiliate Cleveland Monsters to the 2016 Calder Cup.[8]

During the 2017–18 season, Anderson injured his knee in a game against the Washington Capitals and was expected to be out for four weeks.[9] The following season was a breakout one for Anderson in which he played the entire 82-game campaign setting a career high 47 points as the Blue Jackets advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history.[10]

In the 2019–20 season, Anderson was unable to replicate his offensive game, posting just 1 goal and 4 points in 26 games before suffering a posterior labral tear of his left shoulder against the Ottawa Senators on December 14, 2019. With the injury failing to respond to rehabilitation, Anderson had season-ending shoulder surgery on March 2, 2020, with an expected recovery period of 4–6 months.[11]

Montreal Canadiens

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On October 6, 2020, Anderson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Max Domi and a third round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft.[12] On October 8, Anderson as a restricted free agent was signed to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract extension with the Canadiens.[13] He made an immediate impression on arrival in Montreal, and was first dubbed a "powerhorse" by new teammate Tomáš Tatar, a nickname that was soonly widely adopted.[1][14] Anderson recorded 17 goals and 7 assists during the pandemic-shortened regular season, and was widely regarded as one of the standouts during a tough season for the team.[15][16] He was noted for his ability to deliver "big game performances".[17] This was reinforced during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, where Anderson recorded five goals over the four rounds of the Canadiens' deep run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. Four of those goals came in two games, the first a two-goal performance in Game 3 of the semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights that first gave Montreal the series lead, with Anderson first tying the game in the closing minutes thanks to a misplay by Knights goaltender Marc-André Fleury and then scoring the overtime winner.[18] In Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the Canadiens facing elimination, Anderson scored the first goal of the game and then won it in overtime, notching the team's only win in the series.[19]

In preparation for the 2021–22 season, Anderson began playing on a line with Jonathan Drouin and former London Knights teammate Christian Dvorak, who had just been traded to the Canadiens.[20] Drouin, who had missed much of the previous season due to anxiety and cited Anderson as a close friend and support through his difficulties, would score the Canadiens' first goal of the season off of Anderson's feed.[21] The Canadiens struggled greatly in the beginning of the season, while Anderson managed a team-leading seven goals (as well as six assists) through the first 24 games of the season before sustaining an upper body injury in a December 3 game against the Colorado Avalanche. It was announced that he would miss between two and four weeks as a result.[22] Anderson ultimately returned to the lineup in mid-January.[23] As the team continued to struggle coach Dominique Ducharme was sacked and replaced with Martin St-Louis, who revamped the lineup and created a new first line with Anderson, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield that immediately began producing results.[24] On March 1, 2022, Anderson scored his first career hat-trick in an 8–4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.[25] Anderson later spent some games away from the first line, as St-Louis expressed a desire to revise his style of play to emphasize more than being a "physical guy."[26]

After notching three goals and two assists in the first twelve games of the 2022–23 season, Anderson was suspended for two games for boarding Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo.[27] He appeared in 69 games that season, scoring 21 goals and registering an additional 11 assists. His season ended prematurely when he sustained a high ankle sprain in a March 21 game against the Lightning, after being driven into the net by defenceman Mikhail Sergachev.[28]

The beginning of Anderson's 2023–24 season was marked by a lengthy scoring drought that became a topic of widespread sports media discussion. He remarked that it was "very tough," in that "every day you think about when you're going to break out of that slump and start putting them in the back of the net."[29] He scored an empty net goal in a December 4 game against the Seattle Kraken, the team's 25th game of the season, bringing a 27-game goalless streak to an end.[30] Anderson scored two goals against goaltender Semyon Varlamov in a Canadiens victory over the New York Islanders on December 16, his first scored against a goaltender in 34 games dating back to March 13. Named the first star of the game, he received a standing ovation from the crowd.[31] Anderson received the Molson Cup as the team's best player of the month of December, ultimately having scored six goals and nine points in that span.[32]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2022 Finland

On December 2, 2013, Anderson and Knights teammate Bo Horvat were invited to partake in the selection camp process for the Canada national junior team prior to the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[33] He scored one goal in the course of seven games, where the Canadian team finished fourth.

Following the 2021–22 NHL season, with Montreal not qualifying for the playoffs, Anderson accepted an invitation to join the Canadian national team at the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Tampere.[34] Anderson registered an assist in his tournament debut, Canada's 5–3 victory over Germany.[35] In his first nine games, Anderson scored a goal and six assists, including an assist in Canada's 6–1 semi-final victory over Czech Republic to reach the championship final.[36] He registered another assist in a 4–3 loss to Finland in the final, earning a silver medal.[37]

Personal life

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Anderson’s father, Gary, grew up in Dollard-des-Ormeaux on Montreal’s West Island as a huge Canadiens fan. Former Canadien Pete Mahovlich is the uncle of Anderson’s mother, Michelle, through marriage.[38]

In May 2023, Anderson got engaged to Paola Finizio in Puglia, Italy. They were married in the same area in July 2024.[39]

Career statistics

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Anderson celebrating the Monsters' Calder Cup victory with teammate Michael Chaput.

Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2010–11 Burlington Cougars OJHL 4 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0
2011–12 London Knights OHL 64 12 10 22 34 19 2 3 5 4
2012–13 London Knights OHL 68 23 26 49 77 19 1 2 3 23
2013–14 London Knights OHL 59 27 24 51 81 9 5 4 9 14
2014–15 Springfield Falcons AHL 52 7 10 17 76 — — — — —
2014–15 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 6 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2015–16 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 58 18 21 39 108 15 7 5 12 24
2015–16 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 12 1 3 4 2 — — — — —
2016–17 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 78 17 12 29 89 5 1 1 2 2
2017–18 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 63 19 11 30 42 6 1 2 3 21
2017–18 Cleveland Monsters AHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2018–19 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 82 26 20 47 60 10 1 2 3 22
2019–20 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 26 1 3 4 17 — — — — —
2020–21 Montreal Canadiens NHL 52 17 7 24 38 22 5 1 6 12
2021–22 Montreal Canadiens NHL 69 19 13 32 65 — — — — —
2022–23 Montreal Canadiens NHL 69 21 11 32 72 — — — — —
2023–24 Montreal Canadiens NHL 78 9 11 20 74 — — — — —
NHL totals 535 131 92 223 461 43 8 6 14 57

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 Canada WJC 4th 7 1 0 1 0
2022 Canada WC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 10 1 7 8 10
Junior totals 7 1 0 1 0
Senior totals 10 1 7 8 10

Awards and honours

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Awards Year Ref
OHL
J. Ross Robertson Cup champion 2012, 2013 [40]
AHL
Calder Cup champion 2016 [41]

References

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  1. ^ a b Jared Book (January 12, 2021). "'He's a powerhorse': How Josh Anderson has become the surprise at camp". SB Nation. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Herb Garbutt (May 24, 2012). "Anderson one win from capping dream season". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Sunaya Sapurji (December 27, 2013). "World Junior Championship: For Josh Anderson and Team Canada, it's better late than never". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  4. ^ "Knights' Anderson signs with Blue Jackets". CHL.ca. Ontario Hockey League. November 5, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Herb Garbutt (January 16, 2015). "Burlington's Anderson expected to make NHL debut tonight". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  6. ^ Navin Vaswani (October 2, 2015). "Blue Jackets' Anderson out 4 weeks after surgery for orbital fracture". theScore.com. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Burlington's Anderson nets first NHL goal". InsideHalton.com. January 10, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  8. ^ Josh Sweetland (June 13, 2016). "Calder Cup champions also tasted OHL supremacy". CHL.ca. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  9. ^ "Anderson out four weeks for Blue Jackets with knee injury". NHL.com. February 27, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  10. ^ Craig Merz (April 21, 2019). "Anderson could be key for Blue Jackets in second round". NHL.com. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  11. ^ "Josh Anderson undergoes surgery to repair left shoulder". Columbus Blue Jackets. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020 – via NHL.com.
  12. ^ "CBJ acquire C Max Domi, third-round pick in 2020 Draft for Josh Anderson". Columbus Blue Jackets. October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020 – via NHL.com.
  13. ^ "Canadiens sign forward Josh Anderson to a seven-year contract extension". Montreal Canadiens. October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020 – via NHL.com.
  14. ^ "Tomas Tatar dropped a hockey term that we're definitely adding to our vocabulary". BarDown.com. 11 January 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  15. ^ Joshua Rose (April 29, 2021). "Montreal Canadiens: Analyzing the Josh Anderson Max Domi Trade". FanSided. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  16. ^ Julian McKenzie (January 14, 2021). "'Josh Anderson is exactly the 'power horse' Canadiens have needed for ages". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  17. ^ Melissa Boyd (April 24, 2021). "Canadiens Getting Big Game Performances From Josh Anderson". TheHockeyWriters.com. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  18. ^ Marisa Ingemi (June 18, 2021). "Josh Anderson sends Canadiens to stunning series lead over Golden Knights". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  19. ^ Joshua Clipperton (July 5, 2021). "Anderson's OT winner helps Habs stay alive against Lightning in Stanley Cup final". CBC Sports. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  20. ^ Stu Cowan (September 24, 2021). "Canadiens' Josh Anderson ready for more of a leadership role". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "Nylander, Campbell lead the way as Maple Leafs down Canadiens in opener". Sportsnet.ca. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  22. ^ "Habs' Anderson out estimated 2-4 weeks". TSN.ca. December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  23. ^ Pat Hickey (January 19, 2022). "In the Habs' room: 'We're here to play hockey and show up for work every day'". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  24. ^ Stu Cowan (March 1, 2022). "Canadiens rooted in Josh Anderson's family tree". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  25. ^ Pat Hickey (March 1, 2022). "Josh Anderson scores hat trick, but Canadiens fall 8-4 in Winnipeg". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  26. ^ Arpon Basu (April 12, 2022). "Martin St. Louis always believed hockey IQ can be developed, and we are now seeing it in action". The Athletic. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  27. ^ "Canadiens' Anderson suspended two games for boarding Pietrangelo". Sportsnet.ca. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  28. ^ Justin Blades (March 22, 2023). "Josh Anderson will miss the rest of the season with a high-ankle sprain". SB Nation. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  29. ^ Eric Engels (December 15, 2023). "Canadiens Notebook: Anderson feeling weight of slump, Heineman ready for NHL". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  30. ^ "Anderson snaps 27-game goal drought, Canadiens top Kraken". Sportsnet.ca. December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  31. ^ Herb Zurkowsky (December 16, 2023). "Josh Anderson scores twice to pace Canadiens in win over Islanders". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  32. ^ "Josh Anderson earns Molson Cup honor for December". Montreal Canadiens. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via NHL.com.
  33. ^ "HORVAT & ANDERSON NAMED TO NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM SELECTION CAMP". CHL.ca. London Knights. December 2, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  34. ^ "Senators, Jets, Canadiens players join Team Canada at World Championship". Sportsnet.ca. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  35. ^ "Joel Armia starts the World Championship in style". Montreal Canadiens. May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via NHL.ca.
  36. ^ "Armia, Anderson will play for gold at Worlds". Montreal Canadiens. May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via NHL.com.
  37. ^ Andrew Podnieks (May 29, 2022). "Finland does it!". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  38. ^ Stu Cowan (March 2, 2022). "Stu Cowan: Canadiens rooted in Josh Anderson's family tree". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  39. ^ Ellie Spina (July 4, 2024). "Montreal Canadiens player Josh Anderson and Paola Finizio get married in Italian ceremony: 'A dream day'". Yahoo! Life. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  40. ^ Herb Garbutt (May 21, 2013). "Anderson, Knights look to finish what they started at Memorial Cup". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  41. ^ Tony Brown (June 12, 2016). "Bjorkstrand's OT goal clinches Monsters' first-ever Calder Cup championship". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved June 12, 2016 – via NHL.com.
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