Jake Sanderson

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Jake Sanderson
Ottawa Senators at Seattle Kraken - 2023-03-09 - Jake Sanderson (52739054977) (cropped).jpg
Sanderson in 2023
Born (2002-07-08) July 8, 2002 (age 23)
Whitefish, Montana, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Left
NHL team Ottawa Senators
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 5th overall, 2020
Ottawa Senators
Playing career 2022–present

Jake Sanderson (born July 8, 2002) is an American and Canadian [1] professional ice hockey player who is a defenseman for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Senators in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2020 NHL entry draft.

Contents

Early life

Sanderson was born on July 8, 2002, in Whitefish, Montana, United States [2] to former National Hockey League (NHL) forward Geoff Sanderson and his wife Ellen. His uncle Guy played for Clarkson University while his father's cousins Wade and Sheldon Brookbank both played in the NHL. [3] Similarly, his brother Ben committed to playing ice hockey at Colorado College and his younger brother Sawyer played AA hockey. [4] While his father played professionally, Sanderson and his brothers moved to Phoenix, Arizona, Buffalo, New York, and Columbus, Ohio.

In Whitefish, Sanderson competed for the Glacier Avalanche of the Glacier Hockey Association alongside his brother Ben from age eight to 11. [1] At the age of 12, the family moved to Calgary, Alberta. [1] Sanderson originally aspired to be a goaltender and even had his own set of equipment at one point, but was eventually deterred by his father and committed to being a skater. He played a mix of forward and defense growing up and eventually became a full-time defenseman at 14 years of age. [5]

Playing career

Upon moving to Calgary, Sanderson played within the Springbank Rockies minor hockey association and earned stints with the Calgary Bantam AAA Flames and the Edge School Mountaineers Elite 15s. [6] He was eventually drafted in the fourth round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) draft by the Kootenay Ice but chose to maintain his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility. [7] Sanderson moved to play at the Edge School before joining the U.S. National Development Team (USNTDP). [8]

As a member of the USNTDP, Sanderson was encouraged to graduate early from high school and play college hockey a year early. [9] He was scouted by two schools, the University of North Dakota (UND) and Harvard University, before agreeing to UND. [7] In his final year with the USNTDP, Sanderson recorded 29 points in 47 games. As a result, he ranked fourth amongst North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final ranking. Before the 2020 NHL entry draft, Sanderson was named the winner of the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award for most outstanding United States-born player in junior hockey. [10]

Collegiate

Sanderson joined the North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team for the 2020–21 season, which play in the NCAA's National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), while majoring in kinesiology. [3] As a freshman, he recorded two goals and 13 assists for 15 points through 22 games. [2] Sanderson recorded his first collegiate goal on December 4, 2020, [11] before missing seven games to compete at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships with Team USA. [3] He finished his rookie season with numerous honors including being named to the All-NCHC Rookie Team, [12] NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, [13] and earning All-NCHC Academic Team honors. [14] During the quarterfinals of the NCAA championship, Sanderson led the team in both shots on goal and blocks while seeing nearly 53 minutes of ice time during a historic five-overtime game. [15]

Sanderson returned to UND for his sophomore season as an assistant captain, [16] where he was named to the 2021 NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team. [17]

Professional

Sanderson was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2020 NHL entry draft. Having completed his sophomore college season, Sanderson, while recovering from a hand injury, decided to conclude his collegiate career, signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators on March 27, 2022. [18] He made his NHL debut in October against the Buffalo Sabres. Sanderson scored his first NHL goal on November 23, 2022, in a 4–1 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights. [19] Sanderson finished eighth in scoring on the Senators during the 2022–23 season, playing well for the team, recording 32 points in 77 games. At the end of the season, Sanderson was named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team. [20]

On September 6, 2023, the Senators announced that Sanderson had signed an eight-year, $64.4-million contract extension with the team. [21] In the 2023–24 season improved his scoring with 38 points in 79 games, [22] recording three assists in a 5–4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on April 13, 2024. [23] Analysis after the season concluded indicated that Sanderson had become a key member of the Senators' defense corps. [24] In the following 2024–25 season, Sanderson began the season poorly, struggling through the first three months. [25] However, as the season wore on, Sanderson improved, setting career highs in goals (11), assists (46), and points (57). He set three milestones in the season, making his 200th appearance on January 16, 2025, and recording his 100th NHL assist and 100th NHL point. [26] The Senators qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, marking their return for the first time in eight years. [27] The Senators faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first round, best-of-seven series. In Game 4 on April 27, with the Senators facing elimination, Sanderson scored his first NHL playoff goal in overtime, to win the game 4–3 . [28] Ultimately the Maple Leafs eliminated the Senators in six games. [29]

International play

Medal record
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2021 Canada

While Sanderson is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, he has chosen to represent the United States internationally. [1] As a member of Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he assisted the game-winning goal in the semifinals against Finland. [30] During the finals, he led all team members in ice time with 21 minutes, 41 seconds as they captured the gold medal against Canada. [31]

In his last year of U20 eligibility, Sanderson returned to represent the United States at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. On December 21, 2021, it was announced he would be the captain of the team. [32] Team USA made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament after winning all four games in their group. They were defeated by Czechia 4–2 in the game. [33]

On January 10, 2022, Sanderson accepted an invitation to play for the United States' hockey team at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. NHL players were ineligible to compete due to COVID-19 complications. [34] On February 4, Sanderson was put into isolation in California before the Olympic Games due to a positive COVID-19 test. [35] Once again Team USA won all their group games and made it to the quarterfinals. However, they were defeated in the shootout by Slovakia. [36]

In February 2025, after star defenseman Quinn Hughes was too hurt to play for the United States at the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Sanderson was asked to join the team as his replacement. [37] The United States advanced to the final against Canada, in which Sanderson scored his first goal of the tournament. However, Canada won the game in overtime 3–2 and the United States finished second. [38]

On January 2, 2026, he was named to Team USA's roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. [39]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2018–19 U.S. National Development Team USHL 22257020110
2019–20 U.S. National Development TeamUSHL19212148—————
2020–21 University of North Dakota NCHC 22213154—————
2021–22 University of North DakotaNCHC23818266—————
2022–23 Ottawa Senators NHL 774283212—————
2023–24 Ottawa SenatorsNHL7910283823—————
2024–25 Ottawa SenatorsNHL801146571261232
NHL totals236251021274761232

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2018 United States U17 8th50110
2021 United States WJC Gold medal icon.svg70220
2022 United States OG 5th10110
2024 United States WC 5th80440
2025United States 4NF 2nd21010
Junior totals120330
Senior totals90550

Awards and honors

AwardYearRef
College
All-NCHC Rookie Team 2021 [12]
NCHC All-Tournament Team 2021 [40]
All-NCHC Second Team 2022 [41]
AHCA West First Team All-American 2022 [42]
NHL
NHL All-Rookie Team 2023 [43]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hansen, Kyle (November 30, 2020). "Whitefish native Jake Sanderson's long, winding journey leads him to cusp of Montana hockey history". Montana Sports. Retrieved September 17, 2021. At age 12, Sanderson moved to Calgary, Alberta. Both of Sanderson's parents originally hail from Canada and he holds dual-citizenship with Canada and the United States.
  2. 1 2 "Jake Sanderson". Elite Prospects. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "#26 Jake Sanderson". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  4. ↑ Wescott, Chris (August 25, 2020). "Draft: Jake Sanderson Profile". New Jersey Devils. Retrieved September 17, 2021– via NHL.com.
  5. ↑ Mendes, Ian (November 25, 2021). "Senators' Jake Sanderson will make his NHL debut this spring. A tiny town in Montana will be cheering him on" . The Athletic. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ Gilbertson, Wes (October 3, 2020). "Jake Sanderson's ascent to top NHL Draft prospect included several seasons in Calgary". Calgary Sun. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Schlossman, Brad Elliott (January 15, 2020). "Top UND recruit Jake Sanderson 'has everything you want'". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  8. ↑ Dittrick, Ryan (October 1, 2020). "Thanks, Dad!". Calgary Flames. Retrieved September 17, 2021– via NHL.com.
  9. ↑ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (November 29, 2020). "Jake Sanderson takes route rarely traveled to get to UND". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  10. ↑ Morreale, Mike G. (June 4, 2020). "Sanderson, top 2020 Draft prospect, named top junior player by USA Hockey". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  11. ↑ @TheNCHC (December 4, 2020). "Jake Sanderson snipes his first collegiate goal to pull @UNDmhockey even on the power play" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. 1 2 "Five Teams Represented on 2020-21 NCHC All-Rookie Team". National Collegiate Hockey Conference. March 8, 2021. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ "NCHC Adds 62 Newcomers to 2020-21 Academic All-Conference Team". National Collegiate Hockey Conference. July 21, 2021. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Six UND rookies added to 2020-21 NCHC All-Academic Team". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. July 21, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  15. ↑ Miller, Ricky (March 31, 2021). "Ottawa Senators: Top Prospects Shine in 5OT NCAA Tournament Game". SensShot. Retrieved September 30, 2021– via Fansided.
  16. ↑ "Mark Senden named captain, four honored as assistants". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. July 22, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Jake Sanderson named to 2021 NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Ottawa Senators sign defenceman Jake Sanderson". Ottawa Senators. March 27, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022– via NHL.com.
  19. ↑ Schlossman, Brian Elliot (November 24, 2022). "Former UND defenseman Jake Sanderson scores first NHL goal". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved February 14, 2023– via Yahoo! Sports.
  20. ↑ Warne, Steve (June 27, 2023). "Ottawa Defenceman Jake Sanderson Named to NHL's All-Rookie Team". The Hockey News. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Ottawa Senators sign defenceman Jake Sanderson to eight-year contract extension". Ottawa Senators. September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023– via NHL.com.
  22. ↑ D'Amico, Sydney (October 7, 2024). "Senators announce final roster". Ottawa Senators. Retrieved May 21, 2025– via NHL.com.
  23. ↑ Fraser, Callum (April 13, 2024). "Senators top Canadiens in shootout, defeat them for 9th time in row". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  24. ↑ Luszczyszyn, Dom; Gentille, Sean; Goldman, Shayna (October 2, 2024). "Ottawa Senators 2024-25 season preview: Playoff chances, projected points, roster rankings". The Athletic. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  25. ↑ Baines, Tim (December 4, 2024). "Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson looking to be more than just 'OK'". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  26. ↑ D'Amico, Sydney (May 12, 2025). "Looking Back on the Senators' 2024-25 Milestones". Ottawa Senators. Retrieved May 21, 2025– via NHL.com.
  27. ↑ Pringle, Josh (April 9, 2025). "Ottawa Senators clinch playoff spot for first time since 2017. Tickets to go on sale next week". CTV News. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  28. ↑ Clipperton, Joshua (April 27, 2025). "'Exceptional' Sanderson shining for Senators". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  29. ↑ Adams, Alex (May 3, 2025). "Senators' bittersweet exit signals new era in Ottawa". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Whitefish native Jake Sanderson collects game-winning assist to lift Team USA into World Juniors gold medal game". 406 Sports. January 4, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  31. ↑ Hansen, Kyle (January 6, 2021). "Whitefish's Jake Sanderson helps lead Team USA to World Juniors gold medal". Montana Sports. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Jake Sanderson Named Captain of U.S. National Junior Team". USA Hockey. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  33. ↑ Murphy, Brian (August 18, 2022). "USA vs. Czechia final score, results: Americans upset in quarters, bid for back-to-back World Juniors gold ends". The Sporting News. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Senators prospect Sanderson to join U.S. Olympic team". TSN. January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  35. ↑ Rainbird, Daniel (February 4, 2022). "United States' Olympic men's hockey team missing Sanderson, 2 others due to COVID-19". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  36. ↑ Bumbaca, Chris (February 16, 2022). "US men's hockey team eliminated from 2022 Winter Olympics after shootout loss vs. Slovakia". USA Today. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  37. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce (February 9, 2025). "Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson gets the call to play for U.S. at 4 Nations". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  38. ↑ Rosenstein, Greg; Smith, Allan (February 20, 2025). "Canada defeats USA in overtime to claim hockey's first 4 Nations Face-Off title". NBC News. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Team USA announce 25-strong men's ice hockey roster for Milano Cortina 2026". olympics.com. January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  40. ↑ @NCHC (March 16, 2021). "The 2021 #FrozenFaceoff All-Tournament Team: F – Collin Adams, F – Gavin Hain, UND, F – Riese Gaber, UND, D – Nick Perbix, @SCSUHUSKIES_MH, D – Jake Sanderson, UND, G – Adam Scheel, UND,🏅 MOP: UND freshman forward Riese Gaber" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  41. ↑ "Five Different Teams Represented on All-NCHC First Team". NCHC. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Four players return to 2021-22 Division I men's All-American teams, led by three-time pick Dryden McKay". USCHO.com. April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  43. ↑ "NHL announces 2022-23 All-Rookie Team". NHL.com. June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
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