Paul Garnet Henderson CM OOnt (born January 28, 1943) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.

Henderson played in two NHL All-Star Games and was a member of the 1962 Memorial Cup-winning Hamilton Red Wings team as a junior.

Henderson scored the game-winning goal in the sixth, seventh and eighth games, the last of which has become legendary in Canada and made him a national hero: it was voted the "sports moment of the century" by The Canadian Press and earned him numerous accolades.

[2] She gave birth to Paul while the family was crossing Lake Huron via horse-drawn sleigh attempting to reach the hospital in Kincardine.

[2] Garnet worked for the Canadian National Railway following his return and the family – Paul was the eldest to brother Bruce and sisters Marilyn, Coralyn and Sandra[3] – moved frequently to different posts in Ontario before settling in Lucknow.

[4] Paul's first experiences with hockey came at a young age in the basement of a local restaurant serving western fare operated by Charlie Chin, an immigrant from China who settled in Lucknow.

[7] His father coached his youth teams, and at one minor hockey tournament, told his teammates simply to "just give the puck to Paul and get out of his way".

That incident remained with Henderson throughout his life: while it embarrassed him at the time to be singled out in front of his friends and teammates, he later realized it stood as an affirmation and expression of his father's pride in him and his abilities.

[11] After considering his father's advice and talking with Eleanor, Henderson decided to play two additional years, and if he had not reached the NHL by 1964, he would quit the game and focus on his education.

[10] Henderson attracted the attention of NHL scouts at the age of 15 when he scored 18 goals and 2 assists in a 21–6 victory in a juvenile playoff game.

Henderson scored a goal in the clinching game, a 9–3 win, that propelled the Red Wings to their first Memorial Cup final in the team's history.

[15] A bout of strep throat resulted in his missing Hamilton's playoff games, but he was called up to the Detroit Red Wings late in their season when they were short of players.

[19] After failing to make the Detroit roster out of training camp, Henderson was assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Pittsburgh Hornets, to begin the 1963–64 season.

[27][28] He then spent the year attempting to overcome injuries; a case of tracheitis forced him to miss several early season games and led the team to consider having him play wearing a surgical mask to protect against the cold air of the arena.

[29] Henderson eventually spent time in the dry air of Arizona to cure the ailment, but he also suffered from torn chest muscles and ultimately missed a third of the season.

[15] The Red Wings were in last place of the NHL's East Division late in the 1967–68 season when, on March 4, 1968, they completed one of the biggest trades in league history up to that time:[30] Henderson was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a six-player deal, along with Norm Ullman and Floyd Smith, in exchange for Frank Mahovlich, Garry Unger and Pete Stemkowski.

Canada had long been at a disadvantage in international ice hockey tournaments as its best players were professionals in the NHL and therefore ineligible to play at the ostensibly amateur World Championship and Olympic Games.

[44] In the first game in Moscow, Henderson scored a goal to help Canada establish a 4–1 lead, but also suffered a concussion when he was tripped into the boards and knocked unconscious.

The first shot was stopped by Vladislav Tretiak, but Henderson recovered the rebound and lifted it over the fallen goaltender to give Canada a 6–5 lead with only 34 seconds left to play.

While he appreciated the support from fans and the business opportunities it created,[56] he grew increasingly frustrated over time as the attention intruded on his private life.

[58] His frustrations with Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard, who Henderson felt was destroying the team, contributed to his developing an ulcer.

[61] Prior to the 1973–74 NHL season, Henderson spoke to John Bassett, owner of the World Hockey Association (WHA)'s Toronto Toros.

He missed the playoffs after tearing his knee ligaments in a game against the Phoenix Roadrunners when colliding with Bob Mowat, an opposing player during a line change.

He signed a two-year contract with the Flames on the promise that he would stay in Birmingham unless the team needed his services as a result of injury to other players.

[33] The jersey worn by Henderson when he scored the goal was sold at auction for over $1 million in 2010, thought to be the highest price ever paid for a hockey sweater.

[77] Frank Lennon's photograph, taken moments after the goal and showing a jubilant Henderson being embraced by Yvan Cournoyer, has been "etched into the visual cortex of every Canadian".

Commentator and former NHL coach Don Cherry argued that Henderson's status as hero of the "greatest series in hockey history" was enough to qualify him.

[83][84] He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in the 2013 Canadian honours in recognition of "his engagement in support of a range of social and charitable causes" along with his achievements on the ice.

He had an opportunity to become a colour commentator for Maple Leafs broadcasts in 1981 but Ballard, still upset that Henderson had defected to the WHA, prevented his hiring.

[100] The disease prevented him from attending 40th anniversary celebrations of the Summit Series in Moscow,[101] but he was responding well to experimental treatment as part of a clinical trial he participated in into 2013.