About Derek Sanderson
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. He set up the epic overtime goal scored by Boston Bruins teammate Bobby Orr that clinched the 1970 Stanley Cup Final, 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. For a six-month period, Sanderson was the highest-paid athlete in sports history. On August 4, 1972, he left the Bruins to sign a $2.625-million deal with the Philadelphia Blazers of the rival World Hockey Association. However, Sanderson sustained a back injury three weeks into the 1972–73 season, and he played only eight games with the team before the two sides agreed to a $1-million buyout of his contract. A master of the menacing sweep check, which would soon become his trademark, Sanderson scored his 32nd career short-handed goal in the 1975-76 campaign 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 Bruins appearance, Sanderson still owns the team record for most career shorthanded goals (six) in the playoffs, a mark that he shares with Ed Westfall, a longtime teammate. 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.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.