Derek Michael Sanderson (born June 16, 1946), nicknamed "Turk", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and two-time Stanley Cup champion who helped transform the culture of the professional athlete in the 1970s era. The two-time Stanley Cup champion set up the epic overtime goal scored by Boston Bruins teammate Bobby Orr that clinched the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, widely considered to be the greatest goal in National Hockey League history. Over 13 NHL seasons, he amassed 202 goals, 250 assists, 911 penalty minutes and a plus-141 rating in 598 games with five teams.
In the 1975-76 season, Sanderson scored his 32nd career short-handed goal to surpass Toronto Maple Leafs center Dave Keon as the all-time league leader. He owned the record for eight seasons. Nearly half a century after his last appearance with Boston, Sanderson still owns the Bruins team record for most career shorthanded goals (six) in the playoffs, a mark that he shares with Ed Westfall, his longtime line mate. Through the 2021-22 campaign, his 24 short-handed tallies in the regular season ranked third behind Brad Marchand and Rick Middleton in club history.
Early years
Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Sanderson was the son of Canadian Army Private Harold A. Sanderson, and Caroline Hall Gillespie of Dysart, Scotland. His older sister Karen was born in 1944 while their father was serving in France. In his early youth, Sanderson took to hockey, skating countless hours on a scaled-down version of an NHL rink, which his father built and maintained while his mother served hot chocolate during breaks in the action. The rink spanned two backyards of small cookie-cutter houses on lots provided at modest prices to servicemen such as Harold upon their return home.
Playing career
Sanderson played junior hockey in his hometown with the Niagara Falls Flyers of the Ontario Hockey Association. His time with the Flyers saw him being named to the Second All-Star Team in 1965–66, to the First All-Star Team in 1966–67 and winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the top scorer in the OHA also in 1966–67. In 1964–65, Sanderson helped the Flyers reach the Memorial Cup finals where they beat the Edmonton Oil Kings in five games. After spending four years in the OHA, Sanderson turned pro by signing with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League in 1965–66, and made his professional debut that season by playing two games with the Bruins. Sanderson also played two games in the CPHL with the Oklahoma City Blazers in 1965–66, recording one goal.
Boston Bruins (1968–1972) After brief stints with the Bruins in the two previous seasons, Sanderson earned a permanent roster spot in the 1967–68 campaign. The 21-year-old scored 24 goals and 49 points in 71 games. He also had 98 penalty minutes, establishing himself as something of a "tough guy". Sanderson was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the Rookie of the Year, an honor that his teammate Orr had claimed the previous year. It remains the only time in Bruins history that they had consecutive Calder winners.
Although Sanderson had been an elite scorer in junior hockey, his role with the Bruins club was limited to that of a third-liner in the middle of right wing Ed Westfall and either Wayne Carleton or Don Marcotte at the left side. It wasn't long before Westfall and Sanderson emerged as the most accomplished penalty-killing tandem in the league.
Sanderson and the Bruins captured consecutive East Division titles in the (1970–71 and 1971–72) seasons, and won the Stanley Cup in 1971–72 against the New York Rangers, its second in three seasons.
He also received publicity for his numerous female companions and lavish ways, which included a Rolls-Royce car and circular bed. Named by Cosmopolitan as one of the sexiest men in America, he was the subject of gossip columns, and a frequent guest on television talk shows.
The Flying Goal
After their series victory over the Rangers followed by a sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1969–70 playoffs, the Bruins faced the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Forty seconds into the extra period, Sanderson controlled the puck behind the Blues goal line, at which point defenseman Bobby Orr broke in from near the blue line. His short pass found its way to Orr. The defenseman fired a short wrist shot past goaltender Glenn Hall, clinching the Bruins' first Stanley Cup in 29 years.
In 2017, on the 100th anniversary of the league, fans voted the so-called Flying Goal as the greatest in its history. It also turned out to be the signature moment for both players in their careers.