Paul Henderson

Paul Henderson

Paul Garnet Henderson (born January 28, 1943) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames and 5 in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls. He played over 1,000 games between the two major leagues, scoring 376 goals and 758 points. He played in two NHL All-Star Games and was a member of the Memorial Cup winning Hamilton Red Wings team as a junior.

Henderson was a member of Team Canada that defeated the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series. Played at the height of the Cold War, the series was viewed as a battle for both hockey supremacy and way of life. He scored the game-winning goals in the sixth, seventh and eighth games, the last of which has become legendary in Canada and made him a national hero. He played in the 1974 Summit Series, also against the Soviet Union. Henderson has twice been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame; in 1995 individually and in 2005 along with all players of the 1972 Canadian national team. He will be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in May 2013.