News release
8 August 2006
Elmira, NY The Elmira Jackals announced today that they have signed center Erik Anderson to a contract for the upcoming campaign. He becomes the 11th player signed by the Jackals for the 2006-07 Season.
The Jackals have added another top offensive player with the signing of forward Erik Anderson. The 28-year old from Plymouth, Michigan has played overseas in Europe for the past three years in England, Germany and Denmark. During the 2005-06 season, Anderson split time between Freiburg EHC in Germany and Herlev IC in Denmark, scoring a combined 27 points (7 goals, 20 assists) in 44 games. At 511, 192 lbs. he spent two years in the English Elite League, where he led the Sheffield Steelers to the 2003-04 League and Playoff Championships. In his 5-year professional career, Anderson has posted 204 points (87 goals, 121 assists) and 142 PIMs in 293 games, meaning he carries a Non-Vet status.
Anderson has spent parts of two seasons in the American Hockey League, both with the Milwaukee Admirals. He posted 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 49 games during his rookie season 2001-02 and then had 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 34 games the next year for Milwaukee. In the 2002-03 season, split between Milwaukee and the Toldeo Storm of the ECHL, Anderson was teammates with Jackals Head Coach Kris Waltze and goaltender Doug Teskey, now a Corporate Sales Representative for the Jackals.
Anderson is no stranger to the state of New York; he played 4-years of Division I college hockey in Canton, New York for St. Lawrence University of the ECAC Hockey League, where he was teammates and classmates with former Elmira Jackals goaltender Jeremy Symington. His distinguished college career includes a laundry list of awards and achievements. During his junior and senior seasons (1999-00 & 2000-01), Anderson helped the Saints win back-to-back ECAC Championships and the schools third straight berth into the NCAA Tournament. During his senior year, Anderson became the 4th player in school history to win the ECAC Player of the Year Award (2001) and the 5th St. Lawrence player to be a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, as the nations top college player. During his junior season, Andersons 1999-2000 team made NCAA history as they edged Boston University 3-2 in a stunning quadruple-overtime victory in the quarterfinals, earning a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four. The two teams set NCAA tournament records in length, shots on goal and saves made by playing 123:53, more than two full games in length, with the shots-on-goal at 80 shots for St. Lawrence and 74 shots for Boston University.