Crossing The Line

In this national bestseller, Derek Sanderson holds nothing back about his hockey career, his drug and alcohol abuse, and the tough road back

Derek Sanderson was a key player with the Big Bad Bruins in the 1970s. At one point the highest-paid athlete in the world, Sanderson played with and against the era’s legends, winning two Stanley Cup championships and assisting on Bobby Orr’s famous diving goal in 1970. Off the ice, “Turk” was one of a kind. He drove a burgundy Rolls-Royce, wore a fox fur coat and, when asked what winning the Stanley Cup meant to him, said, “The difference in the money is whether I take acollege chick to Cape Cod or a Playmate to France.” The boy from Niagara Falls became the toast of Boston and New York, owning a nightclub with Joe Namath and even hosting his own talk show. But behind the glory, Sanderson was an alcoholic and an addict. He bottomed out,losing it all, and ended up sleeping under bridges. At one point he was so sick, he had to use crutches to walk.

Crossing the Line is about Sanderson’s crazy days as an NHL player but also about his road back to health. Sanderson has spoken to hundreds of thousands of young people about the dangers of his former lifestyle and now helps young athletes and others to avoid the pitfalls of instant fame.

DEREK SANDERSON grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and played for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, as well as the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA. A former sports commentator, Sanderson is currently an investment professional in Boston, where he serves as a financial advisor for athletes.

KEVIN SHEA is the editor of publications for the Hockey Hall of Fame and the author of twelve hockey books, including Barilko: Without a Trace and Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup. Shea is the recipient of the 2012 Brian McFarlane Award for excellence in research and writing.

KEVIN SHEA is the editorial and education facilitator for the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is the bestselling author or co-author of nineteen hockey books, including Derek Sanderson: Crossing the Line, Barilko: Without a Trace and Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup. He has received the Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR) Brian McFarlane Award for excellence in research and writing, as well as the President’s Award for outstanding contributions to advancing hockey research.