Flying Goal as the greatest in its history. It also turned out to be the signature moment for both players in their careers. Philadelphia Blazers (1972–1973) In the summer of 1972, Sanderson signed what was then the richest contract in professional sports history. The Philadelphia Blazers of the new World Hockey Association signed Sanderson to a five-year, $2.65 million contract that made him the highest-paid pro athlete in the world at the time. He received $600,000 in cash as part of the agreement, an offer that the Bruins declined to match. The remainder of the money was to be spread over 10 years. On November 1, in a game at Cleveland, Sanderson suffered a back injury when he slipped on a piece of paper on the ice. When he was fit to return weeks later, club management insisted that he remain inactive. It was widely speculated that it had hoped to prod Sanderson to bolt the team and void his lucrative deal but his contract was bought out for $800,000 after the season. Later career After Sanderson and the Blazers parted ways, he returned to the Bruins for two seasons but suited up for only 54 games. He was demoted to the Boston Braves of the American Hockey League for three games then traded to the rival New York Rangers. By that time, Sanderson had developed vascular necrosis. Steroids were prescribed to alleviate the problem, but when they dried out his hip sockets, it only grew worse in nature. The pain in his hips grew so intense, he began to take barbiturates as a sleep aid. Along with New England Patriots receiver Jim Colclough and the New York Jets star football quarterback Joe Namath, he opened Bachelors III, a trendy nightclub on New York City’s Upper East Side. Negative publicity over some of the club's less than reputable patrons led to problems and eventually Sanderson had to get out of what went from a "goldmine" to a money-losing venture. Sanderson bounced from team to team, never being able to stay with a team for more than two full seasons. After playing with the Rangers and recording 50 points in 75 games, he was traded eight games in to the St. Louis Blues next season. In St. Louis, Sanderson set career highs in assists and points scored in a season with 43 assists and 67 points, but recurring knee and alcohol