Senators sign Craig Anderson to one-day retirement contract; will join Sabres as hockey liaison

The Ottawa Senators plan to sign goaltender Craig Anderson to a one-day contract so he can retire as a member of his long-time former team, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Thursday morning.

The Sabres also announced on Thursday that Anderson will join the Sabres as a hockey liaison on a part-time basis.

Anderson, 42, spent parts of 10 seasons with the Senators between 2011 and 2020. The 6’2″ netminder most notably appeared in all 19 games during the club’s run to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

In 2012–13, Anderson set Senators records for lowest goals-against average (1.69) and highest save percentage (.941) in a single season.

Anderson left the Senators after the 2019–20 campaign as the club’s all-time record-holder in most goaltending categories, including games played (435), starts (422), wins (202), saves (12,447), and assists (11).

The Ottawa Senators plan on signing Craig Anderson to a 1 day contract so he can retire a Sen. Tuesday vs Buffalo appears to be the target. Good man and great gesture by @Senators

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) October 19, 2023

According to Dreger, the Senators plan to honor Anderson before their game against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, October 24. Fittingly, Anderson played the final two seasons of his NHL career with the Sabres, with his last game being a 4–3 overtime win over the Senators on April 13, 2023.

Anderson began his NHL career as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2002–03 season. The Blackhawks were the second NHL team to draft Anderson, as he was selected by the Calgary Flames with a third-round pick in 1999 but re-entered the draft two years later after going unsigned.

After spending parts of three seasons with the Blackhawks at the start of his career, Anderson joined the Florida Panthers in 2006 and subsequently emerged as a quality backup goaltender. He signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009 and turned heads with a 51-save, 1-0 shutout win over the San Jose Sharks in the 2010 playoffs.

Colorado traded Anderson to Ottawa midway through the 2010–11 season in exchange for Brian Elliott. Anderson emerged as a top-tier NHL starting goaltender in Canada’s capital and was called “the best goalie we’ve ever had” by Senators GM Pierre Dorion upon his departure from the club in 2020.

After leaving the Senators, Anderson spent a year as the Washington Capitals’ third-string goaltender before returning to more regular action with the Sabres. He finished his NHL career with a 319–275–73 record, 43 shutouts, and a .912 save percentage in 709 regular-season games; in 48 playoff contests, Anderson went 24–23 with a .929 and four shutouts.