Anderson smiles through the tears; Larionov stays cool

TORONTO—For years, Glenn Anderson said, he had to answer the same question: When are you going to get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Once word got out he was being inducted that question changed to: How’s the speech coming?

Anderson won’t be answering either question anymore. On Monday night, the former Oilers great joined Igor Larionov along with linesmen Ray Scapinello and Ed Chynoweth as the 2008 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees.

Anderson’s emotion-filled speech started when his 6-year-old daughter Autumn walked onstage with his speech and some Kleenex. He invited her to stay, but she declined.

“I’m going to sit down and watch you cry,” she said.

She did … and he did.

At different moments, an emotional Anderson paused to fight through tears—especially when recognizing Glen Sather, Mark Messier and his wife. He also got choked up remembering the day Wayne Gretzky was traded.

“I lost a brother that day,” Anderson said.

He got through it, though, closing the speech and the night with one thought: Making the Hall, was “so worth waiting for.”

Larionov’s induction speech was the opposite. Known during his playing days as “The Professor,” Larionov looked every bit the part when took his place behind the podium during his induction speech.

Wearing stylish Gucci glasses, Larionov unfolded the piece of paper that contained his speech, took a deep breath and calmly read. It was the same cool, calculated delivery that reflected his play on the ice.

Though his best days of hockey were played in Russia, a trip to North America when he was young helped him realize he couldn’t spend his entire career playing only in his home country, Larionov said.

He signed with the Vancouver Canucks at age 29 and planned on playing three years in the NHL. He stayed much longer than that.

“Little did I know this would turn out to be the pinnacle of my 14-year journey in the NHL,” he said during his speech.

Brian Burke was director of hockey operations in Vancouver when Larionov played for the Canucks.

“Igor Larionov was a great, classy player. He was an elegant player with a very high hockey IQ,” Burke told Sporting News Today shortly after arriving at the ceremony. “I wish we’d gotten him over when he was 24 or 22 instead of when we got him.”

Larionov won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, and during his speech credited Scotty Bowman for assembling the Russian Five, and changing the way hockey is played in Detroit. The puck possession style Larionov imported from Russia to Detroit still lives on.

“It’s who we are today,” Detroit GM Ken Holland told Sporting News Today on the red carpet walk to his seat Monday night. “He was the key guy in helping us win three Stanley Cups.”

Larionov also became known as an international ambassador to hockey. He’s worked closely with the Russian Continental Hockey League (KHL), drawing some criticism for being so closely associated with a league that has publicly feuded with the NHL.

On Monday night, the president of the KHL, Alexander Medvedev, preceded NHL commissioner Gary Bettman down the red carpet by about 15 minutes, the two leaders of opposing leagues in the same building, putting aside differences, to honor Larionov and others.

“I believe it’s not only a great night for (Larionov), but also for the whole Russian hockey because Igor was a great, great player and a great personality,” Medvedev told Sporting News Today. “He’s heavily involved in KHL activity and it was very important in the beginning and it’s even more important nowadays.”

As for Bettman, he was taking in the scene. On this night, it was about honoring hockey greats, sharing stories and old friends, rivals and teammates getting together.

The commissioner enjoyed all of it.

“It’s a wonderful night. It’s a celebration of our sport, and the celebration of the accomplishments of four wonderful people,” Bettman told Sporting News Today. “I continue to marvel at the great history and traditions of our game and the wonderful people associated with this sport.”

This story also appears in Tuesday’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.