NHL Star Helps 500+ People in Recovery Find Hope

The man who once signed a $2.6 million contract that made him richer than Pele and Joe Namath stood before 500 people in St. Paul with a message of hope. Derek Sanderson, former NHL star and two-time Stanley Cup champion, now spends his time showing others that recovery is possible.

Sanderson's story reads like a cautionary tale that found its happy ending. At 25, he drove a Rolls-Royce and appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine. By his late 30s, addiction had stripped away every dollar and left him homeless.

The turning point came in 1979 when his friend Bobby Orr checked him into rehab for the 13th time. This time, something clicked when a counselor asked him a simple question: "Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?"

That was 44 years ago. Today, Sanderson is a successful broadcaster, author, and speaker who shares his story with recovery communities across North America.

The Minnesota Wild invited him to speak at their second annual Recovery Night, an event believed to be the first of its kind in the NHL. The crowd included members of Recovery Community Hockey, a group of sober players who skate together every Wednesday from October through March.

Why This Inspires

Sanderson's willingness to share the darkest parts of his past creates something powerful for people fighting similar battles. He doesn't sugarcoat the 13 trips to detox or the years spent sleeping rough in Boston.

His honesty gives permission for others to be honest too. "You can't keep it unless you give it away," he told the crowd, echoing a recovery community principle that healing happens through helping others.

The Wild's Recovery Night goes beyond one inspiring speech. It brings together treatment centers, sober living facilities, and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to create a community around the sport these fans love. Hockey becomes the common ground where people in recovery can connect, support each other, and remember why life is worth living sober.

Jared Jenkins, a member of Recovery Community Hockey who works for the Wild, helped bring Sanderson to St. Paul. He understands that sometimes the best counselors aren't professionals but people who've walked the same difficult path.

Now 72, Sanderson speaks with vivid detail about his journey, waving his hands as he recounts moments both devastating and redemptive. He has two sons, ages 27 and 25, and a life he rebuilt one day at a time.

Recovery Night proves that second chances can inspire third, fourth, and fifth chances for others still fighting their way back.