The Derek Sanderson Collection

Derek Sanderson – the superstar that was supposed to be, that really wasn’t, but still is. On the lines of an Eddie Shack, Sanderson’s name remains in the minds of hockey fans because of the personality more than the playing results. We’re in a time right now when a player will have a dozen or more hockey cards in a year, at times. In the mainstream hockey card world of Topps and O-Pee-Chee, Derek is featured on just eleven cards from his playing days.

Derek Sanderson – Junior Hockey

Sanderson starred as a junior with the Niagara Falls Flyers (the current Sudbury Wolves of the OHL) of the Ontario Hockey Association. He played with the club for four seasons from 1963-64 to 1966-67. In his second season, 1964-65, the Flyers won the Robertson Cup as OHA champions then proceeded to capture the Memorial Cup as Canadian champs.

His junior stats are quite interesting. In 1965-66, he led the league with 238 penalty minutes in just 48 games. However, his 76 points placed him seventh in the OHA. In his final season of junior hockey, Sanderson was awarded the Eddie Powers Trophy after leading the league with 101 points in 47 games. He dropped to second in the PIM department with 193.

Derek Sanderson – NHL Career

Derek played in the NHL from 1967-68 to 1977-78 (he did appear in two games in each of the previous two seasons while still a junior). The bulk of his time was spent with the Boston Bruins but he also played for the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins. He was a part of two Stanley Cup winning teams in Boston, 1969-70 and 1971-72. His career high in goals came in 1970-71 with 29 and he topped out in points with 67 in 1975-76 with the St. Louis Blues. He was the recipient of the Calder Trophy in 1967-68 as the NHL’s top rookie.

Of course, there was the 1972-73 season. There was no Derek Sanderson hockey card that year because he had signed with the Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association. The WHA did not have a set that season and, despite returning to the Bruins before the end of the season, he wasn’t included in the NHL sets either. Derek’s contract with the Blazers was a record dollar amount for any athlete at the time. His career in the WHA lasted just eight games.

Derek Sanderson Collection

Here is the Derek Sanderson major brand collection in its entirety (where O-Pee-Chee and Topps both printed identical cards, only the O-Pee-Chee is included):

1967-68 Topps #33. The Derek Sanderson rookie card. Only Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe are valued higher in the set.

Derek Sanderson 1967-68 Topps 33 [YouTube Shorts]

1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #6.

Derek Sanderson 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee 6 [YouTube Shorts]

1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #213. Sanderson wins the Calder.

1969-70 O-Pee-Chee #201.

1970-71 O-Pee-Chee #136.

1971-72 O-Pee-Chee #65.

1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #183.

1974-75 O-Pee-Chee #290.

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee #73.

1976-77 O-Pee-Chee #20.

1977-78 O-Pee-Chee #46.

NHL Career Stats (Regular Season)

Season	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1965-66	Boston Bruins	2	0	0	0	0
1966-67	Boston Bruins	2	0	0	0	0
1967-68	Boston Bruins	71	24	25	49	98
1968-69	Boston Bruins	61	26	22	48	146
1969-70	Boston Bruins	50	18	23	41	118
1970-71	Boston Bruins	71	29	34	63	130
1971-72	Boston Bruins	78	25	33	58	108
1972-73	Boston Bruins	25	5	10	15	38
1973-74	Boston Bruins	29	8	12	20	48
1974-75	New York Rangers	75	25	25	50	106
1975-76	New York Rangers	8	0	0	0	4
1975-76	St. Louis Blues	65	24	43	67	59
1976-77	St. Louis Blues	32	8	13	21	26
1976-77	Vancouver Canucks	16	7	9	16	30
1977-78	Pittsburgh Penguins	13	3	1	4	0
	Totals	598	202	250	452	911

NHL Career Stats (Playoffs)

Season	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1965-66	Boston Bruins	0	0	0	0	0
1966-67	Boston Bruins	0	0	0	0	0
1967-68	Boston Bruins	4	0	2	2	9
1968-69	Boston Bruins	9	8	2	10	36
1969-70	Boston Bruins	14	5	4	9	72
1970-71	Boston Bruins	7	2	1	3	13
1971-72	Boston Bruins	11	1	1	2	44
1972-73	Boston Bruins	5	1	2	3	13
1973-74	Boston Bruins	0	0	0	0	0
1974-75	New York Rangers	3	0	0	0	0
1975-76	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1975-76	St. Louis Blues	3	1	0	1	0
1976-77	St. Louis Blues	0	0	0	0	0
1976-77	Vancouver Canucks	0	0	0	0	0
1977-78	Pittsburgh Penguins	0	0	0	0	0
	Totals	56	18	12	30	187