Glenn Anderson
A blur of speed and clutch scoring who helped fuel the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty with a knack for playoff heroics.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: October 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Glenn Anderson didn't just play hockey; he performed with a theatrical flair that turned postseason games into his personal stage. As a key winger on the Edmonton Oilers' powerhouse teams of the 1980s, his breakaway speed and unorthodox style made him a constant threat. While teammates like Gretzky and Messier orchestrated the play, Anderson was the finisher, the player whose intensity seemed to magnify when the stakes were highest. His reputation as a 'money player' was earned through a catalogue of crucial goals, many scored in overtime or as game-winners, directly translating into Stanley Cup victories. After winning five championships with the Oilers, his journey took him to Toronto, New York, and St. Louis, but his legacy is permanently etched in Edmonton's dynasty era, defined by a unique ability to rise to the occasion when a series hung in the balance.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Glenn was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Glenn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Glenn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup five times as a member of the Edmonton Oilers (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990).
- Scored five playoff overtime goals, ranking third in NHL history at the time of his retirement.
- Recorded 93 career playoff goals, placing him fourth on the all-time list when he retired.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.
Did You Know?
He famously wore a Cooperall-brand girdle instead of traditional hockey pants for much of his career.
He scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Oilers in Game Five of the 1987 Finals against Philadelphia.
He competed for Canada in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid before turning professional.
“I just went to the net and good things happened.”
