Derek Sanderson's white skates

For a brief shining moment Derek Sanderson was the highest paid professional hockey player in the world.

Not too long after, he was a has-been.

But in between this and that, he was my hockey idol.

I don’t recall if he actually wore the white skates, but I definitely remember him talking about it. Lacing up a pair of white skates was gonna be a red flag for the opposing team. After all, white skates were girlie skates. Figure skates.

By pulling on a pair of figure skates he was subtly telling the opposing side that even girls could whup ‘em. That would have the effect of discombobulating the other side even before the opening face-off.

Sheer genius!

I was so impressed that I looked for a pair of white size 12 hockey skates myself, the better to intimidate the opposition in the second or third tier of industrial league hockey I played at the time.

No luck.

Did find a pair of white hockey gloves though.

If they ever intimidated anyone, I never noticed.