University of Massachusets Athletics
Matt Anderson Helps Chicago Wolves To Calder Cup Championship
June 14, 2008 | Hockey
June 14, 2008
AMHERST, Mass. - The Chicago Wolves closed the 72nd American Hockey League season on Tuesday night with a 5-2 win against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins for a 4-1 series win to take the 2008 Calder Cup Championship. University of Massachusetts hockey alum Matt Anderson made his 25th Calder Cup Playoff appearance and 39th overall with the Wolves. In this year's Cup Playoffs, he finished with one goal, one assist and an even rating. The Wolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series before falling in Games 4 and 5.
For his career with the Wolves, Anderson has three goals, three assists, and a +2 rating. He scored his lone goal in the Playoffs in Game 3 against Wilkes-Barre Scranton and finished the night with a +2 rating.
A native of West Islip, N.Y., Anderson is a 2007 graduate of UMass where he earned Hockey East All-Academic Distinguished Scholar honors for achieve a 3.0 or higher grade point average for each of his four seasons. Following his senior season, he was honored with the team's Minuteman Award which recognizes the player who best exemplifies the standards upon which the UMass program is built - dedication, determination, character and sportsmanship. All-time, the centerman is tied 13th at UMass for scoring with 91 points in 128 games. He also ranks 13th for career goals (91) and 11th for assists (57). A team captain, Anderson was a major factor in UMass' memorable 2006-07 season which saw the Minutemen advance to the Hockey East Semifinals, earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament, and post the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
Former UNH Wildcat Jason Krog earned the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, as the most valuable player of the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs, finishing with 12 goals and a league record-tying 26 assists for 38 points in 24 playoff games. Krog, who won his first championship after reaching the Calder Cup Finals with Bridgeport in 2002 and the Stanley Cup Finals with Anaheim in 2003, was also named the AHL MVP in the regular season after leading the league in goals (39), assists (73) and points (112) in 80 games played. His former line mate in Durham Darren Haydar also had a strong playoff performance with 27 points (12g,15a) in 24 playoff contests. Haydar was the third leading point getter in the playoffs and he became the all-time AHL playoff point leader and goal scorer on June 1 in Game 2 of the series. Haydar has posted 124 points and 55 goals in 95 career AHL games. His 69 assists also ranks second all-time in the AHL playoff statistical leaderboard.
Anderson was joined by former Maine Black Bear Mike Hamilton as the Wolves made their Calder Cup run. The Wolves were opposed by the Penguins in the Calder Cup Finals, whose roster included former Boston College players Ned Havern and Ben Lovejoy, in addition to former Boston University standout goalie John Curry, who started in 23 of 24 playoff games in goal for Wilkes-Barre Scranton. In total, 16 former collegians won the Calder Cup with Chicago in 2008.
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins were ousted 4-2 in the series by the Detroit Red Wings, as former Black Bear Jimmy Howard backed up Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek on the playoff roster en route to the 2008 Stanley Cup. Four of the six regular defenseman from the Penguins called Hockey East home at one point. BC's Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi anchored Pittsburgh's blueline, along with former Terrier Ryan Whitney and Providence's Hall Gill. Pittsburgh starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was backed up by UNH's former All-American goaltender Ty Conklin.
Orpik logged 415:40 in 20 playoff games, ranking him 12th among playoff skaters, while Whitney ranked 13th with 415:25. Whitney's 40 points (12g,28a) in 76 games during the regular season ranked him 18th among all NHL blueliners. Conklin also made a name for himself with Fleury on the shelf for several months during the season due to injury. Conklin ranked second in the NHL among goalies with a .923 save percentage. He played in 33 contests with 18 victories and a 2.51 GAA. He won his first nine starts subbing in for Fleury and helped propel the Penguins to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
In the NHL regular season, Vermont's Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning ranked 22nd in average time on ice at 24:17 and his 83 points ranked 14th best among league players. St. Louis' 58 assists were eighth best on the league leaderboard. St. Louis was also a finalist for the prestigous Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, given annually to the league's most gentlemanly player. Former Catamount Patrick Sharp also tallied a career-high 36 goals in 07-08 with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Former Vermont netminder Tim Thomas had a career year for the Boston Bruins with 28 win, a 2.44 GAA and a .921 save percentage. BU's Rick DiPietro registered 25 victories on the year in 63 games, as his season was cut short due to injury.
Former Wildcat Daniel Winnik ranked 17th among league rookies with 26 points (11g,15a) playing in 79 games for the Phoenix Coyotes, while Torrey Mitchell also had a very solid first season with the San Jose Sharks with 20 points (10g,10) playing in all 82 games.
Fernando Pisani, a former Providence Friar, was a nominee for the Masterson Trophy, given to the NHL player who shows perseverance in hockey.
