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. After playing in 64 games in his first full season for the club in 1991–92, he registered career highs in goals (46), assists (43), and points (89) in 1992–93. Sanderson spent his first six NHL seasons with Hartford and played half a season with the franchise when they moved to Carolina. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in January 1998 and a little over a month later was sent to the Buffalo Sabres. He saw the most playoff action of his career during his three seasons with Buffalo, making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998–99.

Left unprotected by Buffalo during the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft, Sanderson joined the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored 30-plus goals in 2000–01 and 2002–03. He returned to Vancouver at the trade deadline in 2003–04 and was reclaimed by Columbus off waivers in the off-season which was a condition of the trade. Once the 2004–05 NHL lockout came to an end, Sanderson was traded two games into the 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.

A disappointing year with Philadelphia resulted in Sanderson being traded to Edmonton with Joni Pitkanen in exchange for Joffrey Lupul and former Flyers captain Jason Smith. Sanderson scored two goals against Philadelphia the first time he played against his former team.

He has a couple cousins who also play in the NHL, Wade Brookbank, currently a member of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sheldon Brookbank, currently a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Awards

Played in the NHL All-Star Game (1994, 1997)

Career statistics

			Regular Season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987–88	St. Albert Royals	AMHL	45	65	55	120	175	--	--	--	--	--
1988–89	Swift Current Broncos	WHL	58	17	11	28	16	12	3	5	8	6
1988–89	Swift Current Broncos	M-Cup	2	0	0	0	0	--	--	--	--	--
1989–90	Swift Current Broncos	WHL	70	32	62	94	56	4	1	4	5	8
1990–91	Swift Current Broncos	WHL	70	62	50	112	57	3	1	2	3	4
1990–91	Hartford Whalers	NHL	2	1	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	0
1990–91	Springfield Indians	AHL	--	--	--	--	--	1	0	0	0	2
1991–92	Hartford Whalers	NHL	64	13	18	31	18	7	1	0	1	2
1992–93	Hartford Whalers	NHL	82	46	43	89	28	--	--	--	--	--
1993–94	Hartford Whalers	NHL	82	41	26	67	42	--	--	--	--	--
1994–95	HPK Hameenlinna	SEL	12	6	4	10	24	--	--	--	--	--
1994–95	Hartford Whalers	NHL	46	18	14	32	24	--	--	--	--	--
1995–96	Hartford Whalers	NHL	81	34	31	65	40	--	--	--	--	--
1996–97	Hartford Whalers	NHL	82	36	31	67	29	--	--	--	--	--
1997–98	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL	40	7	10	17	14	--	--	--	--	--
1997–98	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	9	0	3	3	4	--	--	--	--	--
1997–98	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	26	4	5	9	20	14	3	1	4	4
1998–99	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	75	12	18	30	22	19	4	6	10	14
1999–2000	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	67	13	13	26	22	5	0	2	2	8
2000–01	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	68	30	26	56	46	--	--	--	--	--
2001–02	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	42	11	5	16	12	--	--	--	--	--
2002–03	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	82	34	33	67	34	--	--	--	--	--
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
2004–05	Genève-Servette HC	Swiss-A	9	4	1	5	29	--	--	--	--	--
2005–06	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	2	0	0	0	0	--	--	--	--	--
2005–06	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	75	25	21	46	58	--	--	--	--	--
2006–07	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	58	11	18	29	44	--	--	--	--	--
2007–08	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	41	3	10	13	16	--	--	--	--	--
NHL Totals			1104	355	345	700	511	55	9	10	19	32