Playing career

Sanza played major junior in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...

 (QMJHL) for three seasons with the Montreal Red White and Blue and Sherbrooke Beavers. He set a league record for most shutouts in a single season with seven in 1974–75

1974–75 QMJHL season

The 1974–75 QMJHL season was the sixth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule...

 (later tied by Roberto Luongo

Roberto Luongo

Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...

 and Adam Russo

Adam Russo

Adam Russo is a Canadian/Italian professional ice hockey goaltender with the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League...

). He joined the junior North American Hockey League

North American Hockey League

The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...

 in 1975–76 and played with the Erie Blades

Erie Blades

The Erie Blades name was used by two professional ice hockey teams in Erie, Pennsylvania. Both teams played their home games in the Erie County Field House...

 and Beauce Jaros

Beauce Jaros

The Beauce Jaros were a minor professional ice hockey team from Saint-Georges, Quebec, located in the "Beauce" of the province.The Jaros played one full season in the North American Hockey League during the 1975–76 season, and were the NAHL's regular season champions, but lost to the Philadelphia...

.

Sanza turned pro in 1975–76 with the Tucson Mavericks

Tucson Mavericks

The Tucson Mavericks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League from 1975 to 1976.The team was run by Head coach Adam Keller and General Manager Merle Miller.- Season results :-References:##...

 of the Central Hockey League (CHL). Having been drafted 64th overall by the Denver Spurs

Denver Spurs

The Denver Spurs were a professional ice hockey team based out of Denver, Colorado. The Spurs began play in the Western Hockey League in 1968, and played at the Denver Coliseum. The Spurs became the first professional sports team in Colorado to win a championship in 1971–72...

 in the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft

1975 WHA Amateur Draft

The 1975 WHA Amateur Draft was the third draft held by the World Hockey Association.-Selections by Round:Below are listed the selections in the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft.-Round 1:1 Claude Larose - Cincinnati Stingers2 Bryan Maxwell - Indianapolis Racers...

, he joined the club in 1975-76. He had also been drafted 150th overall in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Flames

Atlanta Flames

The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...

, but never played a game in the NHL.

In 1976-77, Sanza returned to the minor leagues with the Greensboro Generals

Greensboro Generals

The Greensboro Generals were an ECHL team that existed from 1999-2004. The franchise replaced the Greensboro Monarchs, who called the city home from 1989-1995....

 of the SHL. Two seasons later, he enrolled at the University of Alberta

University of Alberta

The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...

 and played in the Canadian university circuit. In 1987-88, he went overseas to play in the Italian Serie A with HC Asiago and later, the Milan Devils.

External links