Former King Miner and bantam AAA Norman Wolves player Carter Anderson of Thompson hasn’t played as many midget prep Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) games for Winnipeg’s Rink Hockey Academy (RHA) this year as he would have liked, due to an injury, but he did score one of the biggest goals of his career in October at the WHL Cup.
Anderson, who was selected 51st overall by the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League bantam draft last May, was a member of Team Manitoba in a Western Canada showdown of each province’s top hockey prospects. Manitoba ended up losing 4-2 to Saskatchewan in the final, which they reached thanks to a literally last-second goal by Anderson against B.C. in the semifinal. The game was tied with one second left when Anderson unleashed a slapshot from the blueline that found its way into the net to give Manitoba a 5-4 win.
“I can’t believe it went in with one second left,” he said in an interview just after the game. “I just tried to get it on net. I think this is one of the first goals that I scored like a buzzer-beater so it’s really exciting and really exciting for the team as well.”
“It was crazy how it happened,” he told the Thompson Citizen during a visit to Thompson in November. “I don’t have words for it.”
Anderson finished the WHL cup tied for the second-most goals with four in five games.
Anderson has played only 11 games for RHA in the CSSHL midget prep league this season due to suffering a high ankle sprain. Originally he was expected to be unable to play for eight weeks but that was later cut back to five.
But once he gets back on the ice, Anderson feels that playing in the CSSHL will prepare him for tryouts with the Rebels next season.
“We practice five times a week, work out five times a week right after your practice. That ends all at 4:30 and you go home and get a good sleep. I think this will get me more prepared for WHL and playing with bigger guys. I think RHA midget prep will definitely better my game. Hopefully next year I can crack a lineup spot in Red Deer in the WHL.”
Anderson started playing hockey when he was four years old.
“I just loved the game as soon as I picked it up,” he said.
