View source for Geoff Sanderson

{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| played_for = [[Hartford Whalers]]<br>[[Carolina Hurricanes]]<br>[[Vancouver Canucks]]<br>[[Buffalo Sabres]]<br>[[Columbus Blue Jackets]]<br>[[Phoenix Coyotes]]<br>[[Philadelphia Flyers]]<br>[[Edmonton Oilers]]
| image = Geoff_Sanderson.jpg
| image_size = 230px
| caption = Sanderson with the [[Vancouver Canucks]] in 2004
| position = [[Winger (ice hockey)|Left wing]]
| shoots = Left
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 190
| ntl_team = CAN
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|2|1}}
| birth_place = [[Hay River, Northwest Territories|Hay River]], [[Northwest Territories]], Canada
| draft = 36th overall
| draft_year = 1990
| draft_team = [[Hartford Whalers]]
| career_start = 1991
| career_end = 2008
}}

'''Geoffrey M. Sanderson''' (born February 1, 1972) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] former professional [[ice hockey]] [[Winger (ice hockey)|left winger]], most notably for the [[Hartford Whalers]] and [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL).

==Playing career==
Drafted by the [[Hartford Whalers]] 36th overall in the [[1990 NHL Entry Draft]], Sanderson made his NHL debut at the tail end of the [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]] season with the Whalers. He was on the roster for their first round playoff loss, and was then sent to bolster their [[American Hockey League]] affiliate, the [[Springfield Indians]], who went on to win the [[Calder Cup]]. Sanderson played in 64 games in his first full season for the club in [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]]. In the first round of that year's playoffs, Hartford was trailing the [[Montreal Canadiens]] 2–1 late in the second period of Game 7, when Sanderson scored his first career playoff goal to tie the game. The Canadiens eventually won in double overtime. Over his next five years in Hartford, Sanderson scored more than 30 goals every season with the exception of the [[1994–95 NHL lockout|1994–95 lockout]] season, but the Whalers missed the playoffs each year.

Sanderson remained with the franchise as they moved from Hartford and become the [[Carolina Hurricanes]], but halfway through the [[1997-98 NHL season]] he was traded to the [[Vancouver Canucks]], and shortly thereafter to the [[Buffalo Sabres]] in a separate trade. In Buffalo he did not receive the same level of ice time he had in Hartford, but he experienced the most playoff time of his career. In the first round the Sabres defeated the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] 4–1, to set up a quarterfinal matchup with the Canadiens. In game 1 Sanderson scored twice, including the game-winning overtime goal, in front of the home crowd to give the Sabres a 1–0 series lead. Buffalo also won game 2, and Sanderson scored a pivotal goal in game 3, which was won by the Sabres in double overtime. The Sabres completed the sweep, but then lost to the [[Washington Capitals]] 4 games to 2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

During the [[1998-99 NHL season]] the Sabres continued their winning ways and Sanderson continued to put up respectable third line numbers. After the Sabres swept the [[Ottawa Senators]] in the first round of the playoffs, and then dispatched the [[Boston Bruins]] in six games, they once again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, this time against their cross-[[Lake Ontario|lake]] rivals, the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]. In game 1 Sanderson scored his first goal of the playoffs, which turned out to be the game winner as the Sabres won 5–4. The Leafs won game 2, and the Sabres won game 3. In game 4 Buffalo started off strong building a 3–0 lead following second period goals by [[Brian Holzinger]] and [[Rob Ray]]. Just twenty-two seconds after Ray's goal, Sanderson made it 4–0, and then made it 5–0 with another goal ten minutes later. The Sabres went on to win the series, and advanced to the [[Stanley Cup Finals]] for the second time in team history. Facing the [[Dallas Stars]], Buffalo took game 1 on the road in overtime, but Dallas fought back and won the next two games. In game 4 in Buffalo, Sanderson beat [[Ed Belfour]] to score the game's first goal halfway through the first period, and Buffalo eventually won the game, sending the series back to Dallas tied 2–2. Dallas won game 5, and then won game 6 of the [[1999 Stanley Cup Finals]] – and the Stanley Cup as a result – on a controversial [[Brett Hull]] triple overtime goal.

Sanderson was selected by the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] in the [[2000 NHL Expansion Draft]], and scored 30-plus goals in [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]] and [[2002–03 NHL season|2002–03]]. He was the first Blue Jacket to score a [[Hat-Trick#Hockey|hat trick]]. He returned to Vancouver at the trade deadline in [[2003–04 NHL season|2003–04]]. With the Canucks Sanderson played his final postseason games in [[2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs|2004]], scoring a goal in Canucks' first round loss to the [[Calgary Flames]].

He was reclaimed by Columbus off [[Waivers (NHL)|waivers]] in the off-season, and Sanderson was traded two games into the [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06]] season to the [[Phoenix Coyotes]]. After scoring 25 goals in 75 games with Phoenix, Sanderson signed a two-year contract with the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in the off-season.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=435337 | title = Flyers sign free agent left wing Geoff Sanderson | publisher = [[Philadelphia Flyers]] | date = 2006-07-19 | access-date = 2008-09-12}}</ref>

A disappointing year with Philadelphia resulted in Sanderson being traded to Edmonton with [[Joni Pitkänen|Joni Pitkanen]] in exchange for [[Joffrey Lupul]] and former Oilers captain [[Jason Smith (ice hockey)|Jason Smith]].<ref>{{cite web| url =  http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=326898 | title = Oilers acquire Pitkanen, Sanderson from Flyers for Lupul, Smith | publisher = [[National Hockey League]] | date = 2007-07-01 | access-date = 2007-07-01}}</ref> Sanderson scored two goals against Philadelphia the first time he played against his former team. Following the [[2007–08 NHL season|2008]] season, Edmonton declined to tender Sanderson a contract, ending his professional playing career.

Sanderson ended his NHL career with a total of exactly 700 points, making him the most successful hockey player to come out of the [[Northwest Territories]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/sandege01.html|title=Geoff Sanderson Stats}}</ref>

==Retirement==
Sanderson accepted a developmental coaching and scouting role within the [[New York Islanders]] organization to begin the [[2010-11 NHL season|2010–11]] season. After his second season with the Islanders, Sanderson opted to step away from his position citing family reasons, and a similar lifestyle to his playing days.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723089 | title = Throwback Thursday: Catching Up with Geoff Sanderson | publisher = [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] | date = 2014-06-19 | access-date = 2014-06-19}}</ref> Sanderson formed and currently runs an oil and gas rental equipment company, Breakaway Matting, alongside former teammate [[Brendan Morrison]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.breakawaymatting.com/about/geoff-sanderson/ | title = Geoff Sanderson about breakaway | website = breakawaymatting.com | date = 2014-06-20 | access-date = 2014-06-20}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Sanderson is one of few NHL players to have been born in the  Northwest Territories (Hay River) and spent his early years in [[Pine Point, Northwest Territories]], while his father worked as a pharmacist in the now defunct town. Geoff then spent his junior high school years in [[High Level, Alberta]]. His dad, Aaron, owned the only pharmacy in High Level and would close the store every Saturday at 5:55 pm so he could be at home by 6 pm to watch Hockey Night in Canada with his boys. As a teenager, Geoff relocated with his family to [[St. Albert, Alberta]], for Grades 10–12.<ref>{{cite magazine| url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/news/1999/10/27/hometown_sanderson/ | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119143744/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/news/1999/10/27/hometown_sanderson/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 19, 2013 | title = Hometown Sanderson | magazine = [[Sports Illustrated]] | date = 1999-10-27 | access-date = 2013-04-05}}</ref> Sanderson currently resides in [[Calgary, Alberta]], with his wife Ellen and three sons. His son [[Jake Sanderson]] is a defenceman for the [[Ottawa Senators]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/ottawa-senators-sign-defenceman-jake-sanderson-to-entry-level-contract/c-332323294 | title=Ottawa Senators sign defenceman Jake Sanderson to entry-level contract| date=2022-03-27}}</ref>

In 2013, Sanderson coached his oldest son's peewee team, the Springbank Whalers of Calgary.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/sports/190532941.html| title=Sanderson puts fun first| date=2013-02-10| access-date=2016-01-15| archive-date=2016-10-10| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010004421/http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/sports/190532941.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>

He has two cousins who have also played in the NHL: [[Wade Brookbank]], who most recently played for the [[Rockford IceHogs]], and [[Sheldon Brookbank]], who was a former assistant coach for the [[Chicago Blackhawks]].

==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;"
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3"  bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="5"                    | [[regular season|Regular&nbsp;season]]
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="5"                    | [[Playoffs]]
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! [[Season (sports)|Season]]
! Team
! League
! GP
! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]]
! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]]
! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]]
! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]]
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-  
| 1987–88
| St. Albert Royals AAA
| [[Alberta Midget Hockey League|AMHL]]
| 45
| 65
| 55
| 120
| 175
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1988–89 WHL season|1988–89]]
| [[Swift Current Broncos]]
| [[Western Hockey League|WHL]]
| 58
| 17
| 11
| 28
| 16
| 12
| 3
| 5
| 8
| 6
|- 
| [[1989–90 WHL season|1989–90]]
| Swift Current Broncos
| WHL
| 70
| 32
| 62
| 94
| 56
| 4
| 1
| 4
| 5
| 8
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1990–91 WHL season|1990–91]]
| Swift Current Broncos
| WHL
| 70
| 62
| 50
| 112
| 57
| 3
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
|-  
| [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]]
| [[Hartford Whalers]]
| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 3
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1990–91 AHL season|1990–91]]
| [[Springfield Indians]]
| [[American Hockey League|AHL]]
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
|-  
| [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]]
| Hartford Whalers
| NHL
| 64
| 13
| 18
| 31
| 18
| 7
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]]
| Hartford Whalers
| NHL
| 82
| 46
| 43
| 89
| 28
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| [[1993–94 NHL season|1993–94]]
| Hartford Whalers
| NHL
| 82
| 41
| 26
| 67
| 42
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1994–95 SM-liiga season|1994–95]]
| [[HPK]]
| [[SM-liiga|SM-l]]
| 12
| 6
| 4
| 10
| 24
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]]
| Hartford Whalers
| NHL
| 46
| 18
| 14
| 32
| 24
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]]
| Hartford Whalers
| NHL
| 81
| 34
| 31
| 65
| 40
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| [[1996–97 NHL season|1996–97]]
| Hartford Whalers
| NHL
| 82
| 36
| 31
| 67
| 29
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]]
| [[Carolina Hurricanes]]
| NHL
| 40
| 7
| 10
| 17
| 14
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| 1997–98
| [[Vancouver Canucks]]
| NHL
| 9
| 0
| 3
| 3
| 4
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1997–98
| [[Buffalo Sabres]]
| NHL
| 26
| 4
| 5
| 9
| 20
| 14
| 3
| 1
| 4
| 4
|-  
| [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]]
| Buffalo Sabres
| NHL
| 75
| 12
| 18
| 30
| 22
| 19
| 4
| 6
| 10
| 14
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]]
| Buffalo Sabres
| NHL
| 67
| 13
| 13
| 26
| 22
| 5
| 0
| 2
| 2
| 8
|-  
| [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]]
| [[Columbus Blue Jackets]]
| NHL
| 68
| 30
| 26
| 56
| 46
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02]]
| Columbus Blue Jackets
| NHL
| 42
| 11
| 5
| 16
| 12
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| [[2002–03 NHL season|2002–03]]
| Columbus Blue Jackets
| NHL
| 82
| 34
| 33
| 67
| 34
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2003–04 NHL season|2003–04]]
| Columbus Blue Jackets
| NHL
| 67
| 13
| 16
| 29
| 34
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| 2003–04
| Vancouver Canucks
| NHL
| 13
| 3
| 4
| 7
| 4
| 7
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 4
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2004–05 NLA season|2004–05]]
| [[Genève–Servette HC]]
| [[National League A|NLA]]
| 9
| 4
| 1
| 5
| 29
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06]]
| Columbus Blue Jackets
| NHL
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2005–06
| [[Phoenix Coyotes]]
| NHL
| 75
| 25
| 21
| 46
| 58
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-  
| [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]]
| [[Philadelphia Flyers]]
| NHL
| 58
| 11
| 18
| 29
| 44
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]]
| [[Edmonton Oilers]]
| NHL
| 41
| 3
| 10
| 13
| 16
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! 1,104
! 355
! 345
! 700
! 511
! 55
! 9
! 10
! 19
! 32
|}

===International===
{{MedalTableTop|name= }}
{{Medal|Country|{{CAN}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Ice Hockey World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships|1994 Milan]]|}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships|1997 Helsinki]]|}}
{{MedalBottom}}
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! Result
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-  
| [[1993 IIHF World Championship|1993]]
| [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada]]
| [[Ice Hockey World Championships|WC]]
| 4th
| 8
| 3
| 3
| 6
| 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1994 IIHF World Championship|1994]]
| Canada
| WC
| {{gold1}}
| 8
| 4
| 2
| 6
| 8
|-  
| [[1997 IIHF World Championship|1997]]
| Canada
| WC
| {{gold1}}
| 11
| 3
| 2
| 5
| 2
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" 
! colspan="4" | Senior totals 
! 27
! 10
! 7
! 17
! 12
|}

==Awards and honours==
{| class="wikitable"
! Award
! Year
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
| colspan="3" | [[Canadian Hockey League|CHL]]
|-
| [[Western Hockey League|WHL]] Champions (Swift Current Broncos) 
| [[1988-89 WHL season|1989]]
|-
| [[Memorial Cup]]
| [[1989 Memorial Cup|1989]]
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
| colspan="3" | [[American Hockey League|AHL]]
|-
| [[Calder Cup]] (Springfield Indians)
| [[1990-91 AHL season|1991]]
|-ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
| colspan="3" | [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
|-
| [[NHL All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]
| [[1994 NHL All-Star Game|1994]], [[1997 NHL All-Star Game|1997]] 
|}

==See also==
*[[List of NHL players with 1,000 games played]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Ice hockey stats}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanderson, Geoff}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Buffalo Sabres players]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers]]
[[Category:Carolina Hurricanes players]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States]]
[[Category:Columbus Blue Jackets players]]
[[Category:Edmonton Oilers players]]
[[Category:Genève-Servette HC players]]
[[Category:Hartford Whalers draft picks]]
[[Category:Hartford Whalers players]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]
[[Category:HPK players]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from the Northwest Territories]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:National Hockey League All-Stars]]
[[Category:New York Islanders coaches]]
[[Category:New York Islanders scouts]]
[[Category:People from Hay River]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Flyers players]]
[[Category:Phoenix Coyotes players]]
[[Category:Springfield Indians players]]
[[Category:Swift Current Broncos players]]
[[Category:Vancouver Canucks players]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Finland]]