MSL to NHL: Barrington's Anderson Bids Fantastic Farewell to Long NHL Career
Buffalo Grove's Bogar Successfully Pinch Hits as Nationals Manager; Hoffman Estates' Wilson Ends All-American Drought for Triton Women's Basketball
Craig Anderson’s goal of a long career as an NHL goaltender started with his hometown Chicago Blackhawks in 2002.
The 1999 Barrington High School graduate stopped it in a way most athletes dream but few realize on Thursday night. The 41-year-old Anderson officially went out on his own successful terms as he announced his retirement after leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Ottawa Senators.
"This is it," Anderson said in an Associated Press story. "I think I left it all out there. At the end of the day, I did everything I possibly could to make sure that I was competitive and gave the team a chance to win. You've got to be honest with yourself. And that's just the way this game goes, Father Time always catches up to you."
Anderson had 30 saves against the organization where he spent half of his 20-year NHL career. A goal 1:18 into overtime led to him being mobbed by his Sabres’ teammates as the Buffalo crowd chanted, “Andy, Andy, Andy!” Anderson, who played the first 56 of his 709 games with the Blackhawks, didn’t dress for Buffalo’s Friday finale at Columbus.
The Senators players - including former teammates Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson - also waited near their bench to congratulate Anderson.
"It's an honor for me to be a part of their careers, too," Anderson said. "I didn't know I had that much influence on those guys. But to this day, they're still thankful for me being there and being part of their entry into the league."
Anderson, who turns 42 on May 21, saw the long celebration end with hugs from his wife Nicholle and their sons Jake and Levi. His sons also announced Buffalo’s starting lineup in the locker room.
Anderson went 11-11-2 in 24 starts this season to finish his career with a 319-275-71 record. The three-time All-Star with Colorado in 2009 and Ottawa in 2013 and 2017 also had a brief stint with the Washington Capitals in 2020-21 and played for the Florida Panthers for three seasons after his start with the Blackhawks.
The road to victory No. 1 was anything but easy for Anderson, who moved from Northbrook to Barrington in the seventh grade. Anderson didn’t play hockey for Barrington but was taken by Calgary in the third round of the 1999 NHL draft. They couldn’t agree on a contract so Anderson went to play for the Chicago Freeze and then in major junior hockey with Guelph in the Ontario Hockey League.
Anderson was taken again in the third round of the 2001 NHL draft by the Blackhawks.
“I didn’t know where I was going to go,” Anderson told renowned Daily Herald hockey writer Tim Sassone, who passed away in 2014, “but I was hoping for a team that needed a goaltender to play in their system and the Blackhawks were a good fit.”
The Blackhawks were also a major dumpster fire at that time but Anderson didn’t have to wait long for an opportunity. His first NHL action came Nov. 30, 2002 in Los Angeles when veteran Jocelyn Thibault was pulled early in the second period of a loss to the Kings. Anderson stopped all 4 shots he faced.
“It certainly is an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Anderson said to Sassone.
A night later in Anaheim, Anderson made his first start and gave up 3 goals in his first 4 shots but settled down in a 3-2 loss.
“That was a big learning step for me and I’m sure there will be many more,” Anderson said as he played 6 games in his first season with the Hawks.
He also had a unique change before the 2003-04 season started. For years, Anderson spelled his name as Andersson after playing in a tournament in Sweden at age 10.
“I thought it would be kind of neat to throw on the jersey,” Anderson told Sassone, “something different to remember my time there.”
But the NHL told the Blackhawks he had to drop the extra “s” from the back of the sweater and go with the spelling of the name on his signed contract. What Anderson was really seeking was a “W” as he started his career 0-11-2. Finally, on Jan. 22, 2004, he got it as he beat Columbus 7-0 at the United Center.
“I’ve been waiting for this my whole career,” Anderson said. “It’s great to get the shutout. It gets that out of the way, too.
“In this league you’ve got to win. That’s what the NHL is all about and that’s why people have jobs that are 38 and 40 years old - because they keep winning.”
Little did Anderson know he’d even surpass those ages after a lot of struggles that included the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season because of labor strife. In a two-week span in 2006, Anderson was waived by the Hawks, claimed and waived by the Boston Bruins, claimed and waived by the St. Louis Blues and reclaimed by the Hawks. That offseason, General Manager Dale Tallon wanted a veteran backup for Nikolai Khabibulin so Anderson, who was 12-29-6 in 56 games with the Hawks, was traded to Florida for a draft pick.
Anderson showed progress with the Florida Panthers by going 24-14-7 with a 2.52 goals against average in 53 games in three seasons. His career took off when he signed as a free agent with Colorado for the 2008-09 season and he went 38-25-1 with a 2.63 GAA in 71 starts, finishing fourth in the Vezina Trophy voting for the top goaltender and ninth in the Hart Trophy voting for league MVP.
He was also fourth in the Vezina voting for Ottawa in 2012-13 when he had a league-best 1.69 GAA. In 2017, he won the Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport when he had to take multiple leaves of absence to help Nicholle battle cancer but helped the Senators reach the Eastern Conference finals.
Anderson is also the Sabres’ nominee for this season’s Masterton Trophy for his leadership with the NHL’s youngest team. Sabres coach Don Granato shared a story with NHL.com on Anderson talking with 21-year-old rookie goaltender Devon Levi.
“I walk back in the weight room 20 minutes later and they’re still sitting there talking,” Granato said. “I think those things matter to Craig, that he’s part of our young guys. Craig has done a really good job of imparting some of his wisdom on them and helping them see the simple in what otherwise might feel complex to situations.”
After all, Anderson experienced his share of them during his long and distinguished NHL career.
“Bogie” Aces Latest Managerial Opportunity
Buffalo Grove is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its baseball program Friday afternoon when it hosts Hoffman Estates. One of its most prominent alums, Washington Nationals bench coach Tim Bogar, was back in the big-time spotlight earlier this week.
Bogar, a 1984 graduate who had a nine-year big league playing career as an infielder, was unexpectedly thrust into the hot seat Monday night when manager Davey Martinez became ill before a game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. Bogar delivered in a pinch as the Nationals won 6-4.
“I’m pretty proud of the way we go about it every day,” Bogar told reporters before the game. “I think the guys show up every day with a good mentality. They play hard. They play all nine innings. We’ve been in most of the games, and I think we’ve given ourselves opportunities to be successful. And that’s the best we can do.
“Just show up every day, and take care of business and put ourselves in a position to win, and we’ve done that quite a bit, even though it hasn’t ended that way for us a few times.”
Bogar had been in this spot before as he filled in on a few occasions in 2021 when Martinez was suspended a game by MLB for “purpose pitches” and after he had ankle surgery. Bogar he went 14-8 as the Texas Rangers’ interim manager to finish the 2014 season after Ron Washington was fired and interviewed for the Mets managerial job in 2019. He also has five years of minor league managerial experience and has coached with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
Bogar helped lead BG to its first regional title in 1984 before going to play at Eastern Illinois and then with the New York Mets, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1993-2001. He is one of three alums to play in the big leagues along with outfielder-first baseman Mike Marshall and catcher Josh Paul.
Hoffman Estates’ Wilson an All-American at Triton
Former Hoffman Estates girls basketball standout Monraia Wilson made history at Triton College. The 5-foot-7 guard became the program’s first NJCAA All-American selection in 29 years after she was named to the third team.
Wilson, who was also the NJCAA Region IV Division I player of the year, averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists and had 98 steals as Triton finished 23-7. She led Triton to its first Region IV title in 27 years in 2021 and was able to play three years with an extra year of COVID eligibility.
"I talked to Monraia about the possibility of her being an All-American in the preseason,” Triton assistant coach Tim McKinney told George Castle for a story on the school’s website. “I just had a sense she would be the one to break the long drought. Now, because of her hard work, it became a reality and I'm so proud of her."
Wilson was a four-year starter and two-time all-Mid-Suburban League pick at Hoffman. She was a Daily Herald All-Area choice as a senior after averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists a game.
Brandon Muntu also received third-team All-American honors for the men’s team coached by BG grad John Clancy. The 6-4 Muntu, who has signed with Western Michigan, also was the Region IV Division I player of the year and he averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game. Muntu also made 103 3-pointers at a 40.7 success rate and is the program’s career leader in made 3s at 159.
Relief Workhorse Mike Myers Ready To Go Distance in Boston
Major League Baseball is frequently referred to as a marathon because of the 162-game grind. Mike Myers, who went to Hersey for two years before graduating from Crystal Lake Central in 1987, was part of 13 long seasons, even though his role was more equivalent to a sprinter as the submarining left-hander made 883 relief appearances for nine teams.
Myers will be a marathon man of sorts in the literal sense Monday morning when he runs the prestigious Boston Marathon for the second time to help raise money for The Angel Fund for ALS Research. Myers also ran the Boston Marathon in 2018 and will be finishing the 26.2-mile course near Fenway Park, where he was part of the memorable curse-breaking 2004 World Series champions and the 2005 team that lost in the American League Division Series to the eventual World Series winning White Sox.
The Angel Fund for ALS Research is a non-profit charity which supports ALS research at the UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Mass. Myers got involved with the program after 18-year MLB reliever and Red Sox teammate Mike Timlin lost his mother Sharon to ALS in 2003. The Angel Fund is also holding the 20th anniversary Sharon Timlin Memorial Event - A Race to Cure ALS, which is a 5K race on June 17 in Hopkinton, Mass.
Myers is part of an Angel Fund group of seven running this year’s Boston Marathon that includes Mike Timlin’s wife Dawn and their daughter Mykayla. As of Sunday morning the group had raised more than $37,000 and surpassed their goal of $30,000.
“I really look forward to assisting the Angel Fund to raise money so we can figure out how to stop ALS,” Myers said in an Angel Fund flyer. “Mike Timlin is a great friend and I participate in Hopkinton every year to support the fight against ALS in honor of his mother.”
Myers finished the 2018 Boston Marathon in windy and rainy conditions.
“Somebody told me the wind was going to be behind us, and it was behind us for a total of about 5 yards,’’ Myers joked after the 2018 race to Boston.com. “It felt better than I thought it would though.’’
Myers was a fourth-round draft pick in 1990 out of Iowa State by the San Francisco Giants and made his MLB debut with the Florida Marlins in 1995. A trade during that season to the Detroit Tigers led to a career-altering switch to the submarine style that made him valuable to so many bullpens. He led the American League in games pitched in 1996 (83) and 1997 (88) and made 70 or more appearances in six other seasons while also pitching for the Brewers, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Mariners and Yankees before finishing his career with the White Sox in 2007.
Arlington’s Hundt Enters Badminton Hall of Fame
Mary Lou Hundt, one of the pioneers for girls sports in the 1970s at Arlington, is part of the second class of the Illinois Association of Badminton Coaches (IABC) Hall of Fame. Hundt developed a powerhouse program that won the first five IHSA state titles (1977-81), won five District and nine MSL championships and compiled a remarkable 132-0 record in dual meets.
No school has matched Arlington’s five consecutive badminton state titles. Hundt coached three state championship doubles teams - Janet Haberkorn and Karen Zobel (1977), Dona Weber and Carol Wenzel (1980) and Amy Rasmussen and Wenzel (1981).
“I was very fortunate to coach girls that enjoyed hard work with lots of physical activities both on the court and off the court,” Hundt said in her Hall of Fame biography on the IABC website. “Also when I coached we shared the facilities so we practiced early in the morning as well as late at night. If you want to be good and enjoy the sport of badminton you have to work hard.”
According to her IABC Hall of Fame bio, since retirement Hundt has studied Spanish in Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru and in 1996 volunteered for a year at an orphanage in Mexico. She has continued to volunteer in Mexico, Jamaica, Honduras and El Salvador and has sponsored and visited many children from Latin American countries.
Kevin Hussey, who was a collegiate national champion at Eastern Illinois in 1976 and coached at Fremd from 1987-90, is also part of the IBCA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 with coaches Lee Kennicke (Maine East, New Trier), Al Loew (Willowbrook) and Terry TerHaar (Andrew). Hussey also won a Chicago Open title that was held at Conant High School in 1983.
The inaugural IABC Hall of Fame class included Palatine coach Kathy Crandall, Arlington player and Wheeling and York coach Gena (Weber) Fite and Rolling Meadows and Hersey coach Jeanine Konkolewski.
Former Warren Coach Webber Returns to Bench
Former Warren boys basketball coach Ryan Webber didn’t wait long to get back into coaching while also staying true to his word to spend more time with his family. Webber, who resigned last month as boys coach at East Moline United, was hired this week as the girls head coach at Bettendorf (Iowa).
Webber’s daughter Olivia is a sophomore at Iowa Class 5A state champion Pleasant Valley and she will transfer to Bettendorf to play for her dad. Webber also has a daughter in seventh grade. Oddly enough, the opportunity arose when the previous coach, Brian Tritt, resigned to spend more time with his family.
“The amount of things it impacts from a family dynamic, it was too good to be true,” Webber told Matt Coss of the Quad City Times. “Bettendorf is such a great school with great tradition. It was at least worth listening.
“The intensity and energy of the Western Big 6 is a beast in itself. I’m excited to change gears. I love watching my daughter play, I love watching her teammates play, and I’m a big fan of women’s basketball. I was captivated by the women’s (NCAA) tournament this year.”
Webber went 50-40 in three seasons at Warren after Hall of Famer Chuck Ramsey retired in 2012. His East Moline United team was 25-7 this season and he is 336-177 in 18 seasons as a head coach that also includes stops at Byron and Moline.
Something Old, Something New for Carbondale Basketball
Carbondale is turning to a familiar face to get its boys basketball program back on track. Jim Miller, who retired as head coach in 2021 after a successful 23-year run that included a pair of two-class Elite Eight trips, is returning to the sideline. Miller replaces ex-NBA player Lee Nailon, who went 11-17 in his only season at the southern Illinois school.
The 61-year-old Miller was 424-221 as Carbondale’s head coach and his 2005 team went 31-3 and lost in the Class AA championship game to Glenbrook North and Jon Scheyer. His 2004 team finished fourth in the state and his teams won 10 regional and seven South Seven Conference titles with 11 20-win seasons.
“The opportunity was there, and for me, it was a no brainer,” Miller told the Southern Illinoisan. “Carbondale has always been a place I enjoy coaching.”
Carbondale had three consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the mid-1970s.
Wild Softball Finish in Arizona
Earlier this week the Mid-Suburban League had a classic girls softball pitchers’ duel where Barrington beat Buffalo Grove 4-0 in a game that lasted 14 innings over two days.
The other extreme occurred Tuesday in Phoenix, Arizona, where a 54-39 score would be pretty wild for a high school football game and average or even high-scoring in some cases for MSL boys basketball. South Mountain topped Metro Tech by that score in a game that was a bit of an oxymoron since it obviously lasted long - 4 hours and 17 minutes - but ended early in the sixth inning because of the 10-run rule.
“It was a wild game,” Metro Tech coach James Irvine said in a story by Arizona Republic preps writer Richard Obert. Kudos to Irvine for sending in the results and sharing his thoughts after a loss like that.
Irvine had to turn the lights to the field back on because of an automated system that shuts them off every night at a specific time. The 93 runs are the fourth-most in a game in US girls high school softball history behind 96 last year in Kansas, 95 in California in 2011 and 94 in Massachusetts in 1983.
It was also literally wild as South Mountain took advantage of 44 walks to score its 54 runs on 11 hits! Metro Tech had 16 doubles, 3 triples and an inside-the-park home run.
"Someone texted and said, 'That's not even a football score, that's like a basketball score,' " Irvine told Obert.