Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original

by Derek Sanderson, Kevin Shea

The autobiography of one of hockey’s first rebels and a beloved member of the “Big Bad Bruins,” this book shares how Derek Sanderson’s ferocious style helped lead the team to two Stanley Cup victories in the early 1970s. Living life in the fast lane, Sanderson grew his hair long, developed a serious drinking problem, and eventually found himself out of the league and prowling the streets for his next drink. In this autobiography, Sanderson comes clean on his life in hockey, the demons that threatened to consume him, and the strength and courage it took to fight his way back. Today a successful entrepreneur and speaker, Sanderson’s incredible story is a must read for any fan of hockey.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely surprised by this book. Sanderson and Kevin Shea have put together a telling of Sanderson's life that readers will find riveting regardless of whether or not they are hockey fans. The highs and lows of his life were so extreme that they are the stuff of legend. There are of course the stories of Derek's rise to fame and his party lifestyle, along with wonderful anecdotes about playing with his good friends Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, but for me the best parts of the book came out in the retelling of Derek's relationship with his father, who was the most significant influence in his life. From the world's highest paid athlete, partying with celebrities at Studio 54 to broke and sleeping in Central Park, this book proves that sometimes the most entertaining stories are not thought up, but are entirely true.

[Marc Leroux · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you go from being the highest paid athlete in the world to sleeping on the street? Derek Sanderson, who, in his prime, was one of the best centers in hockey, did just that. In this tell-all, hide-nothing autobiography, Derek candidly tells of his rise to fame, the lifestyle that eventually destroyed him and then his recovery. I was fortunate enough to have seen Derek play, on what was arguably the best Bruin team ever, and while he was known for his "leave nothing on the table" playing style, and his flamboyant off-ice life style, I wasn't aware of some of the other significant contributions that he made to the game. He played a key role in resetting expectations for player salaries, and for breaking the indentured servitude model that the NHL had operated under for years, and the stories of how these changes came about are both entertaining and engaging. There are stories of his battles with opponents such as John Ferguson and Eddie Giacomin, teammates such as Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr (and I agree with Sanderson, Orr is the greatest person to play the game)and coaches like Harry Sinden. The stories aren't just what happened on the ice, but how Orr and Esposito tried to help him end his downward spiral into the world of drugs and alcohol.
Even as someone who grew up in Montreal, hating the Bruins, this was a great read. Anyone who has an interest in hocky shoudl consider this a "must-read"

[HarperCollins Canada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing the Line, by Derek Sanderson is an eye-opening story of the life of one of hockey's greatest players. At the high point of his life, Derek was playing for the Boston Bruins, he was the highest paid athlete in the world and he was a winger for Bobby Orr. In fact, he assisted that famous goal by Bobby Orr where Orr scored and then went flying through the air. But the high was not to last as he plummeted so low he ended up sleeping on a park bench. This is a story about Derek's rise to fame, his fall into blackness and his struggle to pull himself back onto his feet. Today, Derek is a financial adviser for young athletes to help keep them from making the same mistakes that he did.
An excellent read!

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grew up a fan of Booby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins and looked forward to reading this book. Although I tried I could not compel myself to finish this book. The writing was disorganized and less than riveting. Derek Sanderson the hockey player and celebrity appeared to have few redeeming qualities and while I understand that he had changed over time, and the course of the book, I could not bear to finish a book that celebrated this grossly overpaid athlete whose life and actions were not those of a leader or role model but instead rather quite repulsive.

[Carlton Duff · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars...for a guy who admits to embellishing his persona to the media, maybe should not be shocking that some of Sanderson’s drug/police interaction tales seem a bit dubious.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second hockey memoir I've read this year, after Bobby Orr's. As much as I greatly preferred Orr as a player and person, Sanderson's memoir stands head and shoulders above Bobby's. Where Bobby's essential goodness and humility shone through, making the account rather boring, Sanderson manages to capture the craziness of his years in the 70s without endorsing his lifestyle or overly moralizing about it. Sanderson recounts his early years, his rapid rise to the Bruins, the glory years with the Big Bad Bs, his disastrous flirtation with the WHL, and his spiral into alcoholism and drug addiction. Along the way he offers both a primer on the hockey of his era and numerous entertaining anecdotes about players, coaches, and more (all the stuff absent from Bobby's memoir). For instance, he tells us that Bobby himself instituted a two-drink rule for the Bs after every game - the entire team went out for two drinks, whether beer, coffee, water, etc - thus helping to solidify the notorious camaraderie of the Bs circa 1968-1972. Fascinating stuff, and completely absent from Orr's account. Sanderson has internalized the 12-step process, and thus does not shy from describing (but not really celebrating) his excesses - these, too, read as a fascinating account of insecurity and impulsiveness, and are as fine a cautionary tale for athletes as anything I've read. If one wanted to be critical, I suppose one could point to the surprising specificity of Sanderson's memory of conversations (using direct speech, even) from earlier in his life; given his substance issues and the more general truism that most of us cannot accurately recall specific conversations from a week ago (let alone 30 years), one has to take these less as verbatim accounts and more as rough depictions of the time and place. Still, for those interested in hockey in the 70s, Turk's memoir is required reading.

[Tony Sannicandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago I read Sanderson's "I got to be me" the story of his life with the Boston Bruins. Now comes the sequel and in the style of the 21st century we get the whole story warts and all. Turk should be praised for everything he has accomplished in his life. After hitting the bottom again and again he cleaned his act up and became the person all his fans hoped he would become. Thank you Turk for writing this book!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book full of great stories. At times you felt like you were at the game with him. Some stories jumped in time a little but it was still a great read.

[bamlinden · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Derek Sanderson doesn't epitomize an NHLer from the 1970's - nobody does. He was born to play the game in that era. Rough, unforgiving and often unfair. He worked for everything he gained and then basically threw it all away. Numerous demons grabbed a hold of him and it nearly cost him his life.

If you ever wanted to read a roller coaster ride of a story, this is the one to get.

Sanderson gained a strong work ethic from his parents. His father really impressed on him to work hard - harder than everyone else. His teammates with Boston continued that drive and no doubt, guys like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito didn't hurt either.

But there were many other names that influenced Sanderson's career both on and off the ice. Owners, coaches, fringe players. Derek knew to keep his eyes and ears open and continuously learn.

Sanderson played in an era when player salaries were just a fraction of what they are today. But to Derek, it was more about playing for the Bruins and getting paid what he thought was fair. But the stars aligned and he was given the almost unthinkable opportunity to not only become the highest paid player in pro hockey....but in all of professional sports. He could thank the upstart WHA for that.

Or maybe not. The road that Sanderson decided to take led him down a path of destruction. After reading the book, it's pretty amazing that he made it through to the other side.

It's a fairly well written book. Engaging at times, but a little choppy in others. He hits a few too many subjects and I think it would have been a better book if he narrowed the focus at times and just elaborated more.

There are some great stories from his playing days (and his pro career takes up a good chunk of the text) but his post-career tellings felt a little rushed - like he was trying to wrap things up quick.

This is a must for any Bruins fan, 70's hockey fan or anyone who like to read about the sensational side of hockey.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the heels of finishing the Bobby Orr autobiography Orr: My Story, it seemingly only makes sense that the Derek Sanderson autobiography Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original should have been the next read. Well, I did get to reading the book, but not before reading two books before then. It should be no surprise that Sanderson's book has more details than what Orr provided in his book, as Sanderson was the outspoken, fast living yin to Bobby Orr's soft-spoken yang. Where Sanderson takes you in the book is what happened when he allowed a reputation of his own building to spiral out of control, and he lets it all out here. From drugs to living as a homeless man in Central Park for a short time to squandering a fortune, he goes to every corner of his life to provide the reader with a view of life from someone who has pretty much seen it all. Towards the end of the book, he also provides some life lessons and how he has used them to propel him into ventures such as public speaking and money management for future clients (the latter, undoubtedly something that he takes pride in, as he himself did not do great when he was playing in the NHL). The writing style, particularly some of the short antecdotes he provides, is somewhat disjointed, as it goes into one thing and then suddenly shifts to another part. Of course, perfect writing style isn't something one would expect of a self-described "third line center."

Crossing the Line is a definite must read for any hockey fan, and is a highly recommended that works best in tandem with Orr's autobiography.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek Sanderson may have been the highest-paid hockey player in the world at one point, but he was not then – nor ever – the most talented hockey player in the world. He was, however, arguably the most colorful.

In “Derek Sanderson: Crossing the Line”, the author explores the highs and lows of a very unique life. From assisting on a Stanley-Cup winning goal to strugging to find a job in the industry. From hanging around in Las Vegas with celebrities like then-sex symbol Joey Heatherton (paraphrasing: “Celebrities are just like the rest of us, but with more expensive tastes”) and being considered one of them, to hanging around with the winos in Central Park – and being considered one of them, as well. From buying a Rolls-Royce without negotiation from a Philadelphia dealership (“Two conditions: One, the sales guy who was rude to me gets ZERO commission, and Two, I get to drive it out of the showroom through the front window.”) to using that Rolls-Royce to haul hay on his farm. Sanderson lived an interesting life that would pale many fictional characters that have been created and documented over the years.

Sanderson's tale is engaging, with a feel of brutal honesty in both the high times and low points of his career and life. It was a good use of my money and my time, and I recommend it to other hockey fans, as well as for fans of “rags to riches to rags to normalcy” tales.

RATING: 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Crossing The Line by Derek Sanders. Derek is a professional Boston Bruins hockey player. In the book it talks about how Derek becomes such an iconic player, and how he becomes so called “famous” and how he crosses the line hence the name. When he had all this fame and love from the city of Boston he started to have some problems. He was going out to nightclubs, he had a drug and alcohol problem. Many things were going downhill for him. He tells us what happened and how all these events eventually destroyed/cut short his hockey career. He shares this book to have other young played learn from his mistakes and to not be like him. Overall it shows a very mature side of Mr. Sanders. He writes this book with the best intentions for others to learn from. I think all male teenage hockey player can learn a lot from this book.

[Dayton Reimer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sanderson has some incredible stories of his time in the NHL and his struggles afterward, which were a lot of fun to read. However, this book was not well organized, jumping through several years in one tale only to backtrack in the very next section. That resulted in a lot of repetition of names and events. By the end, there were almost no personal stories, with the majority of the pages simply giving his philosophy and world view, which was very, very preachy. Some further editing and shortening would do this book wonders.

[Donny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read - though at times I felt some of Derek's stories were a bit over exaggerated. I also felt myself pulling my hair out due to Derek's immaturity, stubbornness, and lack of common sense. If you are Bruins fan, please read because you will gain an inside view of life in the NHL during the 70s. The man lead an unbelievable life, but a sad one as well.

[ems · Rating 4 out of 5]

"i laughed and said, 'fuck you.' he slapped me on the back of the head. it really was a close team."

FUNNY BOOK. it is what it is. also, why is donald trump everywhere, even in books about drunk, angry, big and bad bruins from the 70s?

[Lyle Freimark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started off slow but picked up steam. Very interesting life, very well written. Must read for any hockey or sports fan? Can't wait till the movie comes out.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and interesting book about one of my favourite hockey players.

[Boni · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can really tell that Derek Sanderson wrote this book. He is refreshingly honest about his insecurities, his desire to be liked, and his fearlessness at being foolish. You’ve probably met a Derek Sanderson type in your life, but very not likely two. In this ‘screenplay’, he includes so many captivating stories for an old fan of that era, that even though they may seem semi-pointless or not so connected, they are still gems that kept me reading. So many of his stories end suddenly as an overtime game. What next… new game…I later realized, they were all little notes that help you understand the tone… and maybe just a little ADD?

His life was unique for a hockey player, and his humble recounting of amazing situations that bubbled behind the scenes are told with good humor and Canadian politeness. He comes clean with regrets, how he dealt with Joe Namath, never talking to him again… how he was friends-only with sex symbol, Joey Heatherton; how he toyed with the press just because he knew it was good copy. Those side-stories are nearly unbelievable, from cocaine deals to Linda Rhonstad’s first TV appearance being on Sanderson’s talk show! Whaaaa? 😱

But then the last few chapters really show depth of character and thought. He discusses addiction, alcoholism and AA; counseling school kids based on his philosophies; the world of broadcasting; educational challenges, and becoming an impressive money manager with a cause; and the love of his honorable dad. This is a very good ‘hockey player’ book that really deserved its nearly 400 pages!

[Pam Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought back so many memories of the many friends I made because of hockey. I saw Derek Sanderson on TV on a late night talk show when he was with the Bruins and my hometown had just acquired a NHL team. Those two events, started my love of the game that continues to this day. I was privileged to meet some of the players that he talks about and witnessed some of the problems he brings to life. My friends and I were frequent year-round visitors to a locale bar where many of the visiting teams could be found after games. We saw some of the biggest stars and some who thought they were, we met players, trainers, announcers and officials. Most of the time, they just wanted to relax, have a few drinks and talk. We would sit, talk and listen, always making sure to buy them drinks when they bought ours. I remember rookies, who had drinking problems and how their fellow teammates and staff would try to look out for them. Drug use was not as open or prevalent as it later was, but drinking was. It's a shame what some of the players like Derek ended up going through, but he was one of the lucky ones. I remember others who weren't so lucky, some never pulled themselves out of the fire or never even survived. It seems they were set up to fail with pressures they were ill-equipped or to young to handle. This story is one that should be read by many young people and parents alike, it might help prepare them for a way of life that they could find themselves in. Thanks Derek, for sharing a story of what can happen when fame & fortune come too fast, when lines are crossed, and when you find who your true friends are. Congratulations on surviving and for all the joy you gave to fans.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turk is brutally honest about everything in this. Once the world’s highest paid athlete, within a few years his career was over, he was addicted to drinking and drugs and sleeping on a park bench. His story about overcoming his addictions and finding peace was a good one.

Parts do drag a little but it does pick up quickly. I loved the WHA chapter since I’m not too familiar with the full story of the short-lived hockey league. He also manages to say at least one good thing about Bobby Orr in practically every chapter and how can you not love that?

I loved how he described his time in the NHL. As someone not around for that, it gave me a really good idea of what the NHL was like in the 60s and 70s.

Very good book and a must-read for any hockey fan!

[Vern Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a player, Derek Sanderson was an entertainer, and Crossing the Line delivers with compelling anecdotes about the life and style of big-league 1970s hockey (which includes a brief stint in the WHA). It’s a great read, plain and simple, and I loved the Windsor, Ontario storyline along with the familiar faces of Windsor Arena, all of whom helped with his final comeback. My only real criticism would be this: For someone who enjoyed the excesses of that time and place, he does get the least bit preachy. As the enlightened giver of this book said, it’s like Sanderson had his fun and the rest of us should fly right.

[Trent Munger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good! It got a little preachy towards the end, which I suppose is why Derek Sanderson wanted to write the book so I give him props to that. I almost wish he had written two separate books though...one on his hockey career and exploits and one about getting and staying sober. It jumps around a bit here an there and he repeats himself quite a bit (after all, he's not an author by profession) but overall, it was a really good read and fun to read about him and hockey in general back in the day.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanderson and his co-author pull no punches and make no excuses. A great book about life without whining and complaining. Most important of all Sanderson doesn't blame others. He puts it all on himself. Every hockey fan should read this book. It's quite the story of success, a total from grace and a determined willingness to fight back and pull himself up. Loved reading this book. Five stars isn't enough!!

[Kieroniusrex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional first hand account by Derek of his entire career. He does not hold back and does not hide from his tumultuous life outside of hockey which was highly entertaining but also educational in how one can slowly fall victim to their worst impulses. Derek lived life without regrets, was lucky to make it through his troubles and find a fulfilling second chapter in his life. A highly entertaining read with real insight into hockey and the bruins greatest era.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written straight from the heart by Derek Sanderson who went from having it all to losing it all and then finding God (and a great woman) to get his life on track. One of Derek’s best friends was Bobby Orr. What a special person he is. He never abandoned Derek and through all of his ups and downs he was there to offer assistance and sound advice. This book offers so many life lessons. I highly recommend it.

[Mike Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy’s life was unbelievable. You go back and forth between laughing at his antics to being dismayed at his trials and tribulations. He definitely suffered from addiction problems but had good friends and a whole lot of luck. Without a Bobby Orr, I’m not sure if Sanderson would have made it back.

[Markku Kesti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ihan ok urheilijaelämäkerta. Vähän vähemmän tulospalvelua ja lopun Jesse kyllä parantaa osastoa pois, niin olisi ollut kolmen tähden kirja ajalta jolloin änärissä tienattiin about sama kuin opettajana.

[Michael A. Ventura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a hockey legend.

The bottom line of this story is about family. With all Derek Sanderson went through, being raised in a loving family allowed him to right the ship to become a loving father, husband and a valued member of society.

[Rich Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Hockey book!

I really enjoyed this book! Took me back to the early days of my becoming a huge hockey fan. Interesting to learn about Derek's successes and struggles. Glad he was able to get it together in the end!

[Grant Crossley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible, jumps around from one story to another, not a recommendation at all.