Derek Sanderson grew up when there was no such thing as an NHL Entry Draft. Instead, the Boston Bruins had to buy him at 18, and what a great decision that was.
Sanderson is one of the Bruins’ all-time greats, and he was a massive part of the team that won the Cup in 1970 and 1972. Sanderson wasn’t just a great scorer. The fans also loved him for his fighting abilities and excellent work ethic.
Sanderson scored 202 goals and 250 assists in 598 games. And that’s not even with the playoffs included.
Sanderson, however, had to wait four seasons before finally lifting the Stanley Cup. But when he did, in 1970, the celebration was wild.
” When we won the Cup, the fans went crazy. In those days, the glass was lower and you could get onto the ice. The players were milling about on the ice, but the fans began to converge on us. People were grabbing at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guy sliding along the ice and reaching for me,” Sanderson said in his autobiography,” Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original.”
Sanderson didn’t realize that the man coming for him was his dad. As a kid, Derek had promised his dad to give him a Stanley Cup ring if he bought him a pair of new Tacks.
And now, when he finally won the Cup, the Dad came to receive his end of the bargain.
” I couldn’t tell who it was, so I turned fast and hit the guy with my shoulder pad. Poof! Hit him right in the face and knocked him to the ice. I turned around, and it was my dad! Oh God! It gave him a little mouse under his eye. My father! He layown on the ice and laughed,’ That’s the only time you hit anybody all series!’
“‘ Dad, I’m sorry,’ I blurted. As I was helping him up, he looked at me and said,’ Do you remember the promise we made when I bought you the Tacks? That ring is mine!’ So I gave him the ring, and I also gave him the second ring after we won in ’72.”
