This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His popularity reached heartthrob and rock star status from the moment he arrived on the scene in 1966. After winning a second Stanley Cup two years later, Boston fans could not believe the news that summer that Sanderson had jumped to the upstart WHA, signing with the Philadelphia Blazers for $2.6 million. The two-time Stanley Cup champion set up the epic overtime goal scored by Boston Bruins teammate Bobby Orr that clinched the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, widely considered to be the greatest goal in National Hockey League history. I like that. Its not a white thing, a black thing, a Hispanic thing, he says. I always thought, man, Marchand's talent and ability, he could do that easily. They'd just shake you off. Turk: The Movie - DEREK SANDERSON DOCUMENTARY TO I was intimidated by it. One coach and a trainer. The drugs, including prednisone and cocaine, helped his hips but hurt his future. See the website www.docgiff.com for more. The rise, fall, and redemption of a Stanley Cup-winning former Boston Bruins player is set to receive the big-screen treatment. [Blues defenseman] Jean-Guy Talbot should never have come to meif you're the defenseman, you're not gonna go behind the net. Forty seconds into the extra period, Sanderson controlled the puck behind the Blues goal line, at which point defenseman Bobby Orr broke in from near the blue line. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia sortie did not have a happy ending. Those fans were comedians. Wasn't somebody a little upset that you were starting overtime instead of him? Brash, cocky and flamboyant, he dressed in expensive suits, drove a silver Rolls Royce, wore a mink coat and sat on Johnny Carson's couch. 1970 and 1972 were, but for the man they called "Turk," the first one had Sinden chose Sandersons third line to start the overtime instead of either of the Bruins scoring lines centered by Phil Esposito and Fred Stanfield. He actually cut with a saw and sawed off his shin pads because the normal ones wouldn't fit him. And to have the opportunity to be involved in this project, not only as the screenwriter but as the producer, was a great opportunity.. Back in the '80s, he dreamed of becoming of PGA club professional. It's a 50-50 chance you'll get it, right? He first prescribed Valium. I had a reason to turn my life around," he says. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. (The Blazers also gave his father a five-year, $250,000 deal as a scout.) A modified version of this story originally appeared in the June 4, 2012, issue of Sportsnet magazine. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. At the time, Sanderson was in denial. Phil said, 'Geez, where we going?' Sanderson had pen in hand when the lawyer walked into the room and said, "I still think you're only worth $75,000. He returned to the dealership, made sure the salesman didnt earn a commission and drove the Rolls-Royce right off the lot. He I've watched them for a long time and Marchand is my favorite. You never do the same thing twice.' Tweet For him to get that goal, Bobby, I was so happy. Former Bruin Derek Sanderson on his demons. My thanks to it for arranging this interview. I was anonymous for the first time in my life. There are 9,369 other movies coming out on the same date, including The Rosie Project, Bad Boys 4 and Praise This. His new deal, which the Bruins would not match, made him the highest-paid athlete in the world at that time. WebJudging by Bobby Orr's haircut that had to have been circa 1969--Turk Sanderson showed his class by pitching McKay's jersey into the crowd. Catherines Ontario, and he has been sober ever since. To begin with, Sanderson fears flying. Nearly half a century after his last appearance with Boston, Sanderson still owns the Bruins team record for most career shorthanded goals (six) in the playoffs, a mark that he shares with Ed Westfall, his longtime line mate. "Crossing the Lines: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original," chronicles the riches-to-rags journey of the former Boston Bruins center. What are the qualities of an accurate map? [21] His first autobiography, I've Got To Be Me, written with Stan Fischler, had been published in 1970. Derek Sanderson - Hockey-Reference.com His partying lifestyle caught up with him by the time his career ended and he was found sleeping in an inebriated state on a bench in Central Park. When I was young playing bantam, 11 or 12 years old, my father had me pay attention to every faceoff, said Sanderson. I saw it hit the back of the net and I said, 'Well, that's it, I think.' " He wore blue jeans and a matching jean jacket over an old sweater, with cowboy boots. Turk became a fan favorite and to many the most exciting player on the ice; with him on the ice you never knew what would happen next. Sanderson continues, "My ego simply wouldnt let me. A serious knee injury. Its easy for sports fans today to find amusement in the financial train wrecks that many athletes suffer. I was pumped. Sanderson scored 16 points in 16 games with the club before he was sent to the minors because of disciplinary reasons. [20] His second autobiography, Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original, written with Kevin Shea, was released in October 2012. Sanderson now helps athletes avoid the road he took. Stay up to date with everything Boston. In the 1975-76 season, Sanderson scored his 32nd career short-handed goal to surpass Toronto Maple Leafs center Dave Keon as the all-time league leader. He lectured about drug and alcohol awareness in schools and worked as a broadcaster in Boston. By now, his alcoholism and substance abuse was in full bloom. Sanderson fielded inquiries in a Q&A format. Opening night in Philadelphia, there was a problem with the ice and pucks kept disappearing under the boards. Steroids were prescribed to alleviate the problem, but when they dried out his hip sockets, it only grew worse in nature. But he says he was embarrassed by it and almost turned it down. Do Eric benet and Lisa bonet have a child together? He published another one at 26. He was eventually able to get sober in the mid-1980s. Money was new and scary for him, he says. The timing for a golf shot is the same as for a slap shot. The player Bruins fans called Turk was young, brash, outspoken with movie-star looks and tuned into the cultural transformation taking place in Boston during the late 1960s. The Blazers bought out his contract by the end of his first season. They were the key to the enthusiasm. But I wore a tuxedo that night - St. Louis, they're not gonna beat us, so I wore a tuxedo to the Garden. The referees were obliged to cancel the game. Unwilling to put up with the aggravation of lugging his golf clubs on vacations, he would purchase a new set, and give them to his caddie as a tip before leaving. Especially for one nicknamed The Turk.. Ron MacLean excited for 4th season of Rogers Hometown Hockey, Tim and Sid's Rogers Hometown Hockey Preview, When submitting content, please abide by our, {* backButton *} It was widely speculated that it had hoped to prod Sanderson to bolt the team and void his lucrative deal but his contract was bought out for $800,000 after the season.[16]. A year later the two budding superstars were teammates on the Bruins. What is wrong with reporter Susan Raff's arm on WFSB news? Those early years in Boston were the apex of his life. [22] In September 2013, Sanderson received the Hockey Legacy Award from The Sports Museum at TD Garden.[23]. It was a team that, there was no one there that you didn't like. WebTurk: Directed by John Curran. campaign very well. [They've] got some great players. He drove a silver Rolls Royce, owned a nightclub, Bachelors Three, in New York and Boston in partnership with Joe Namath and could make quite an entrance with his full-length mink coat and a new blonde on his arm every night. Sindens hunch created a few grumblings on the bench but proved to be the right move. He told them about a shaggy-haired kid who was once the highest-paid athlete in the world. (approx 1 - 2 per week). The image of Orr flying though the air after whipping the puck past St. Louis goalie Glenn Hall in indelibly etched in the minds of most hockey fans, Bruin supporter or not. Turk - IMDb The eccentric center, the winner of the 1967 Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie, became one of the most beloved athletes in the city's sports lore. Bobby wasn't there, he wouldn't do something like that. Sanderson made a name for himself during his Bruins career, earning Rookie of the Year honors during the 1967-68 season and assisting Bobby Orrs Stanley Cup-winning goal in 1970. There was 20-something guys and everybody liked everybody. But Sandersons story didnt end in financial tragedy. Eddie and I got a lot of kudos for being penalty killersthey were tremendously talented people, they just never get enough credit. In 1965 Turk led his team to the Memorial Cup, symbol of junior hockey supremacy in Canada and in 1967 he was the recipient of the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHLs leading scorer.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',823,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Instinctively, Derek always understood the value of the big stage. In 1966, the Boston Bruins management, in the middle of a cellar-dwelling season, decided to arrange a game in the Boston Garden between the Sanderson-led Niagara Falls Flyers and the Bobby Orr-led Oshawa Generals to showcase their up and coming talent. Comparing players across generations can be skewed because modern NHL athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and better trained and equipped than the helmetless horde of the 1970s. What is one story from 1970 that people might not know? - Details", "Sanderson, Karen / parents Carol (nee Gillespie) & Pte. Who owned bachelors three? Wise-Answer Hes also a prostate cancer survivor. You cant buy friends, you cant buy respect, you cant buy talent, he says. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? Photo: Hockey Players Relaxing in Dressing Room, By Bettmann. And he did. Garnet, he was fast. Fortunately, hes hasnt lost his sense of humour. His only vice these days is playing too much golf. WebDerek Michael Turk Sanderson (June 16, 1946-) served up the pass to Bobby Orr in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals against the St. Louis Blues that Orr buried past Jacques Plante to help the Bruins capture their first Stanley Cup championship in 29 years. You could trust him. In late 1978, Bobby Orr found his ex-teammate to be in dire straits in Chicago and checked him into a local hospital. WebNarrated by Boston native, Primetime Emmy Award-nominee and star of Mad Men John Slattery, Center of Attention follows Sandersons journey from humble beginnings, to I was just a fan when the guys did that one, when they brought Esposito out of the hospital room. Of his time in New York, Sanderson talks of living under a bridge, eating out of dumpsters and panhandling. They always had talent. When that last comment hit the newspapers, Sanderson was hauled into the office of Bruins coach Harry Sinden. "I never had an ending [before]," Sanderson says when asked why he wrote the most recent book. No, no. Sanderson, the man who delivered the pass to Bobby Orr on the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in 1970, was not just an athlete, however. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. You're coming with me [into rehab].' Experience Rogers Hometown Hockey. Center of Attention The Unreal Life of Derek Sanderson Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, he played his junior hockey for the N.F. [15] He received $600,000 in cash as part of the agreement, an offer that the Bruins declined to match. Six years after becoming the highest paid athlete in the world, a broke Sanderson was stealing booze from package stores and sleeping on a New York City park bench. What has Harry Sinden meant to the Bruins organization over the years? Video: Sanderson Answers B's STH Questions. 3-3 at the end of the third? Bobby took a chance along the wall and just boom. I always think of Picard tripping him. And about how quickly the gas gauge said empty. That sweep check, I'm telling you, the perfect guy, perfect, for that is Brad Marchand. "I didn't want him getting any credit," he said. Eddie Shore Trophy, Presented by the Gallery Gods in 1972. He just loves the game. All Rights Reserved. He first prescribed Valium. He played 13 games with the Penguins and eight more in the minors before his release. In 1980, through the good graces of Orr, he checked into rehab in Ste. The Calder trophy wasnt the crowning jewel in Sandersons trophy room though. After their series victory over the Rangers followed by a sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 196970 playoffs, the Bruins faced the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals. Later, he developed cirrhosis of the liver. [14]. Bobby Orr arranged surgery for his hips destroyed by prednisone. They said, 'We're going for a beer.' The pain in his hips grew so intense, he began to take barbiturates as a sleep aid. 2023 Toronto Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. ", Orr was among those who helped him get sober and rebound from losing millions in bad investments. The film's writer Doug Atchison last wrote Brian Banks and Akeelah and the Bee. Derek Sanderson faced a number of personal challenges throughout his career, some typical of a pro-athlete. [7], After brief stints with the Bruins in the two previous seasons, Sanderson earned a permanent roster spot in the 196768 campaign. Sanderson was also a productive player with unique skills that propelled the Bruins to a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues in the 1970 Stanley Cup Final. We had great fans, the same type of fans today. "I told him he was good to me when I was 15 and I owed him that," he said. Everything You Need to Know About Turk Movie (Development) Here's a recap of some of Sanderson's best memories. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. Asked to name a moment that stands out as the craziest, Sanderson says softly, "They were all crazy. Derek by But signs of trouble developed immediately. A welcome email is on its way. WebSanderson, the man who delivered the pass to Bobby Orr on the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in 1970, was not just an athlete, however. Enter your email address to get a new one. So I asked Sanderson what finally saved his life. 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. Sanderson played only eight games with the Blazers and was kicked off the team at the end of the season. Its amazing that Sanderson didnt die. Ed Burns, best known for The Brothers McMullen, Saving Private Ryan and guest spots on Entourage, offered up He has many to thank for banning alcohol and drugs from his life. As captain of the Blazers, Derek felt a responsibility to explain the situation to the fans. And as the team celebrates the 50th Anniversary of its 1970 Cup championship, Sanderson sat down to remember some of the best stories and anecdotes from that era during a 45-minute virtual town hall with season ticket holders and media on Tuesday afternoon. 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So why is Sanderson alive today? Photo: The Bruins' Derek Sanderson, By Boston Globe, Of his time in Boston, Sanderson writes, "Id been living the life. A look at the Turk behind-the-scenes crew and production team. Phil [Esposito] might have been a little upset. I got blamed for it, but I never did it. But he had no filter. Harry Sinden had it going, there was nothing he did not think of and I never went into a game that Harry Sinden didnt give me something to think about, said Sanderson. The doctor then advised It wasn't long before Westfall and Sanderson emerged as the most accomplished penalty-killing tandem in the league. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. WebWhy is Derek Sanderson called Turk? He recalls a 1979 incident when he visited Orr. Get email updates from your favourite authors. I watched him, I think it was his first training camp. Get a hold of Harry and write a book. Donny Awrey made a great play to keep it in or they would have broken out earlier.
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