Sandström was selected 36th overall by the
New York Rangers in the
1982 NHL entry draft. Sandström played 983 career NHL games, scoring 394 goals and 462 assists for 856 points, and also registered 1,193 career penalty minutes. Sandström won the
Stanley Cup in 1997 with the
Detroit Red Wings, assisting on
Darren McCarty's game-winning goal in Game 4 of the
1997 Stanley Cup Finals against the
Philadelphia Flyers. After being acquired with
Tony Granato by the
Los Angeles Kings in January 1990 for former 70-goal scorer
Bernie Nicholls, the two newest additions to Los Angeles combined with
Wayne Gretzky to form a potent top line in Los Angeles. The line displayed its full dominance in the 1990 first round series against the defending Stanley Cup champion and the Western Conference regular season champion
Calgary Flames, particularly in game 4, with both Sandström and Granato along with
Dave Taylor scoring hat tricks while Gretzky had a goal and five assists in a 12–4 rout. Sandström suffered through several serious injuries during his tenure with Los Angeles. In a February 28, 1990 game that set the NHL record for most penalties in a game with 85, he was punched by the
Edmonton Oilers'
Glenn Anderson, leaving him with a broken cheekbone. A collision with Edmonton's
Craig Muni caused a fractured leg in the
1991 Smythe Division Finals.
Doug Gilmour of the
Toronto Maple Leafs slashed and fractured Sandström's forearm in November 1992. Sandström was a key component of the Kings' run to the
1993 Stanley Cup Finals, after missing most of the regular season with a broken jaw. Sandström finished third in playoff scoring behind Wayne Gretzky and Doug Gilmour. On February 16, 1994, Sandström was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins along with
Shawn McEachern, in exchange for
Marty McSorley and
Jim Paek On January 27, 1997, Sandström was traded by the Penguins to the
Detroit Red Wings in exchange for
Greg Johnson. He assisted on
Darren McCarty's game-winning goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. In August 1997, Sandström signed as a free agent with the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, where he would spend the last two seasons of his NHL career. He finished with the worst plus-minus for a playoff career with -45. Today, Sandström works as a
firefighter in
Skanör, Sweden. ==Achievements==