Geoffrey M. Sanderson (born February 1, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
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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 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. In the first round of that year's playoffs, Hartford was trailing the Montreal Canadiens 2–1 late in the second period of game seven, 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 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 one, 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 two, and Sanderson scored a pivotal goal in game three, 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.