Derek Michael Sanderson was born on 16 June 1946, in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada, and is a retired professional ice hockey player, having played as a centre; he now works as a financial adviser to athletes. His company has worked with various high net worth individuals, and all of his endeavors have helped put his wealth to where it is now.
How rich is Derek Sanderson? As of early-2017, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $2 million, earned through success in professional ice hockey and subsequent business. Sanderson has also written his own autobiography, and all of these achievements have ensured the position of his wealth.
Derek Sanderson Net Worth $2 million
Early in his career, Derek played in the Ontario Hockey Association; he played junior hockey with the Niagara Falls Flyers, and was named to the Second All-Star Team in 1965. The following year, he was named to the First All-Star Team and was awarded the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy thanks to being the top scorer in the OHA. He helped the team get to the Memorial Cup finals, winning against the Edmonton Oil Kings to become the champions. In the same year, he also made his pro debut by signing with the National Hockey League (NHL) team, the Boston Bruins. His net worth was established.
In 1967, he joined the Bruins full time and played in 71 games, being awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the Rookie of the Year. Two years later, the team made it to the Stanley Cup finals, and would win against the St. Louis Blues, the first time the Bruins had won the Stanley Cup in 29 years, so Derek would become a celebrity and his net worth would increase significantly.
Derek became known for his flamboyant lifestyle and was constantly the topic of gossip columns. He was seen with various women, and even flaunted a Rolls-Royce car. In 1970 and 1971, he would help the team finish first in the league, and they won the Stanley Cup again in 1971 against the New York Rangers.
In 1972, Derek signed what was the richest contract in professional sports history at the time – the Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) gave him a $2.6 million contract which increased his net worth even further. However, his time with the Blazers was filled with injuries, and he was paid $1 million to return to the Bruins. He suited up for only two seasons with the Bruins, and had limited games because of injuries and other problems. He was then sent to the American Hockey League, playing with the Boston Braves, then traded to the New York Rangers, meantime opening a nightclub called “Bachelors III”. The venture proved to be problematic, and coupled with troubles on the ice, Sanderson started bouncing from team to team. He was reported to have problems with alcohol, and with his knee, but despite that, he still performed well for the Rangers and the St. Louis Blues. In 1976, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks though issues still plagued him. He finally signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins before retiring.
Derek made many poor investments that cost him money, but eventually he was sent to a rehab center with the help of fellow player Bobby Orr. After recovering, he took a job as a professional sports broadcaster with the New England Sports Network, and also became an advocate for helping other players avoid his path. In 2012, he became the Managing Director of The Sports Group, and released his autobiography “Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original”. He received the Hockey Legacy Award from The Sports Museum in 2013.
For his personal life, it is known that Derek married former Playboy Bunny Rhonda Rapport in 1979; their son died at birth, which apparently led to their eventual separation. He’s been married to Nancy Gillis since 1986.
