Derek Sanderson
Encyclopedia
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", (born June 16, 1946 in Niagara Falls
, Ontario
), is a former Canadian
professional ice hockey
centre
who is now a bank executive and restaurateur.
Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario
, he played junior hockey in his hometown, helping the Niagara Falls Flyers
of the Ontario Hockey Association
to a Memorial Cup
championship in 1965 and then winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
as the league's leading scorer in 1967. During one notable game with the Flyers, with management from the Boston Bruins
watching, Sanderson got into a fight with the Oshawa Generals
' Bobby Orr
, his future NHL teammate. While the Boston scouts were initially there for Orr, this also gave Sanderson valuable attention.
Sanderson then appeared in two games as a centre
with the Boston Bruins
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). The following season he became a Bruin regular and was voted the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the NHL's 1968 Rookie of the Year, an honor that Orr won the previous year, giving the Bruins their second consecutive such award.
For the next five years he was an integral part of the Bruins team that won Stanley Cup
championships in 1970 and 1972. Although he had been a leading scorer in junior hockey, his role on the high-scoring Bruins was to centre their defensive line with wingers Ed Westfall
and Don Marcotte
. They became one of the best defensive lines in the league and Sanderson played a pivotal role as one of the most highly regarded penalty killers and face off men in hockey. During the 1970 Stanley Cup
finals Sanderson laid a perfect pass on the stick of Bobby Orr
that resulted in the goal that not only won the Bruins their first Stanley Cup in twenty-nine years, but became the most widely published photo in hockey history. The Bruins went on to finish first in the league for the next two seasons, winning the Cup again in 1972.
Nicknamed "Turk," Sanderson was a fan favorite who received much publicity for his flamboyant "mod" lifestyle. He drove a silver Rolls Royce, flashed diamond rings, and wore a mink coat. Named by Cosmopolitan Magazine as one of the sexiest men in America, he was the subject of the gossip columns, a frequent guest on television talk shows, and regularly photographed in the company of numerous beautiful women. He is famously quoted as having told a reporter who asked about his dining habits that his pre-game meal was a steak and a blonde. Sanderson was in the public eye enough that it has been reported New York Yankees
' shortstop Derek Sanderson Jeter was named after him. This has, however, been denied by Jeter himself in an interview on MLB.com
. Derek Jeter's father's first name is Sanderson; as a result, this is more likely to be source of his middle name.
After the 1972 season, Sanderson signed a contract with the Philadelphia Blazers
of the newly formed World Hockey Association
. His $2.6 million salary surpassed that of Brazil
ian soccer star, Pelé
, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world at the time. Unfortunately, his play did not live up to the expectations of his salary—nor, realistically, could it have—and between an early-season injury, intemperate remarks to the press, and Blazer financial troubles, Sanderson was bought out for $1 million before season's end.
He promptly returned to the Bruins but was traded to the New York Rangers
after the following season. It was with the Rangers that his alcoholism started. Meanwhile, in a distraction from his hockey career, along with New England Patriots
receiver Jim Colclough
, and the New York Jets
star football quarterback Joe Namath
, Sanderson opened "Bachelors III", a trendy nightclub on New York City’s
Upper East Side. Negative publicity over some of the clubs less than reputable patrons led to problems and eventually Sanderson had to get out of what went from a "goldmine" to a money-losing venture.
His lifestyle arising from money and fame, combined with abuse of alcohol and drugs, resulted in Sanderson's health deteriorating, and his career began to go downhill. While he still played effectively when healthy, he began to be dealt from team to team and even spent some stints in the minor leagues: to the St. Louis Blues
early in the 1976 season, to the Vancouver Canucks
on waivers midway through the 1977 season. He signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins
for the stretch run in 1978, after which—hobbled by repeated knee injuries—he retired.
He lost millions of dollars in bad investments and with the substance abuse problems, he wound up penniless, one time sleeping on a New York City
park bench. He was also in poor health, and crippled to the point he had to get around on crutches. Forced to accept the charity of friends who gave him a place to live, several years after his retirement, publicity about his situation brought a second chance from the goodwill of people in the city of Boston, a place of which Bobby Orr
said the fans and citizens were the most loyal and decent in the world. Orr spent his own money to check Sanderson and several Bruins personnel into rehab.
Sanderson beat his addictions and took a job as a professional sports broadcaster. He worked for ten years in broadcasting with NESN.
Sanderson and Orr organized State Street Global Advisors, where he was Director of the Sports Investment Group that provided professional financial advice to athletes to ensure they did not wind up impoverished as he had.
Sanderson is currently Vice President and Senior Investment Professional with Howland Capital Management
in Boston, where he invests for young athletes and high networth individuals. He is involved with a variety of charitable organizations and makes a number of guest appearances at charitable events to help raise awareness and funding for their cause.
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), is a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
who is now a bank executive and restaurateur.
Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, he played junior hockey in his hometown, helping the Niagara Falls Flyers
Niagara Falls Flyers
----The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982....
of the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
to a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
championship in 1965 and then winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Ontario Hockey League. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Edward Powers, and was first awarded to Tod Sloan of St...
as the league's leading scorer in 1967. During one notable game with the Flyers, with management from the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
watching, Sanderson got into a fight with the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
' Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
, his future NHL teammate. While the Boston scouts were initially there for Orr, this also gave Sanderson valuable attention.
Sanderson then appeared in two games as a centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). The following season he became a Bruin regular and was voted the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the NHL's 1968 Rookie of the Year, an honor that Orr won the previous year, giving the Bruins their second consecutive such award.
For the next five years he was an integral part of the Bruins team that won Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championships in 1970 and 1972. Although he had been a leading scorer in junior hockey, his role on the high-scoring Bruins was to centre their defensive line with wingers Ed Westfall
Ed Westfall
Edwin Vernon "Shadow" Westfall is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders from 1961 until 1978–79...
and Don Marcotte
Don Marcotte
Donald Michel Marcotte is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who served his entire National Hockey League career for the Boston Bruins and was noted as a premier defensive forward, while being versatile enough to play any forward position.After playing his junior league hockey for...
. They became one of the best defensive lines in the league and Sanderson played a pivotal role as one of the most highly regarded penalty killers and face off men in hockey. During the 1970 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals Sanderson laid a perfect pass on the stick of Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
that resulted in the goal that not only won the Bruins their first Stanley Cup in twenty-nine years, but became the most widely published photo in hockey history. The Bruins went on to finish first in the league for the next two seasons, winning the Cup again in 1972.
Nicknamed "Turk," Sanderson was a fan favorite who received much publicity for his flamboyant "mod" lifestyle. He drove a silver Rolls Royce, flashed diamond rings, and wore a mink coat. Named by Cosmopolitan Magazine as one of the sexiest men in America, he was the subject of the gossip columns, a frequent guest on television talk shows, and regularly photographed in the company of numerous beautiful women. He is famously quoted as having told a reporter who asked about his dining habits that his pre-game meal was a steak and a blonde. Sanderson was in the public eye enough that it has been reported New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' shortstop Derek Sanderson Jeter was named after him. This has, however, been denied by Jeter himself in an interview on MLB.com
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
. Derek Jeter's father's first name is Sanderson; as a result, this is more likely to be source of his middle name.
After the 1972 season, Sanderson signed a contract with the Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
of the newly formed World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
. His $2.6 million salary surpassed that of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian soccer star, Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world at the time. Unfortunately, his play did not live up to the expectations of his salary—nor, realistically, could it have—and between an early-season injury, intemperate remarks to the press, and Blazer financial troubles, Sanderson was bought out for $1 million before season's end.
He promptly returned to the Bruins but was traded to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
after the following season. It was with the Rangers that his alcoholism started. Meanwhile, in a distraction from his hockey career, along with New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
receiver Jim Colclough
Jim Colclough
James Michael Colclough was an American football end in the American Football League.Colclough played college football at Boston College. He then played one season in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes and was an original Boston Patriot in the American Football League's...
, and the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
star football quarterback Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
, Sanderson opened "Bachelors III", a trendy nightclub on New York City’s
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Upper East Side. Negative publicity over some of the clubs less than reputable patrons led to problems and eventually Sanderson had to get out of what went from a "goldmine" to a money-losing venture.
His lifestyle arising from money and fame, combined with abuse of alcohol and drugs, resulted in Sanderson's health deteriorating, and his career began to go downhill. While he still played effectively when healthy, he began to be dealt from team to team and even spent some stints in the minor leagues: to the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
early in the 1976 season, to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
on waivers midway through the 1977 season. He signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
for the stretch run in 1978, after which—hobbled by repeated knee injuries—he retired.
He lost millions of dollars in bad investments and with the substance abuse problems, he wound up penniless, one time sleeping on a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
park bench. He was also in poor health, and crippled to the point he had to get around on crutches. Forced to accept the charity of friends who gave him a place to live, several years after his retirement, publicity about his situation brought a second chance from the goodwill of people in the city of Boston, a place of which Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
said the fans and citizens were the most loyal and decent in the world. Orr spent his own money to check Sanderson and several Bruins personnel into rehab.
Sanderson beat his addictions and took a job as a professional sports broadcaster. He worked for ten years in broadcasting with NESN.
Sanderson and Orr organized State Street Global Advisors, where he was Director of the Sports Investment Group that provided professional financial advice to athletes to ensure they did not wind up impoverished as he had.
Sanderson is currently Vice President and Senior Investment Professional with Howland Capital Management
Howland Capital Management
Howland Capital Management is a Boston, Massachusetts based private investment firm. The company was founded in 1967 by Weston Howland Jr. Its staff include former Boston Bruins ice hockey centre Derek Sanderson and Olympic silver medalist Charles Clapp.....
in Boston, where he invests for young athletes and high networth individuals. He is involved with a variety of charitable organizations and makes a number of guest appearances at charitable events to help raise awareness and funding for their cause.