Harry Sinden
Builder, coach, and GM who shaped the Boston Bruins dynasty.
Last updated
Born on September 14, 1932, Harry James Sinden is a Canadian who played, coached, and managed hockey professionally.[1] Within the Boston Bruins organization, Sinden held the positions of head coach, general manager, and team president, and he also coached the Canadian squad in the 1972 Summit Series.[1] The Hockey Hall of Fame includes Sinden as a builder, and he was one of the first group of inductees into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997.[1]
Life and work
Under his leadership, the Dunlops again won the Allan Cup in 1959, and he earned a silver medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics.[2] For the 1961–62 season, Sinden was selected as a first-team all-star and was named the league’s top defenseman.[3]
What the cited sources add
The Bruins' official website states that Sinden began in the organization in the early 1960s as a player-coach at the minor league level before progressing as head coach, general manager for 28 seasons, and then president.[4] With a 7-4 Boston win on October 17, 1995, he became the first NHL general manager to record 1,000 victories, and his record as a GM stands at 1170-763-301.[4] A 2025 Sports Business Journal article reports that Sinden, now 92 years old, appeared by videotape during the Bruins' centennial celebration and was not among the in-house celebrants.[5] The Bruins' official website lists Sinden as president from 1988 to 2006 and as general manager from 1972 to 2000.[6]
The same source states that Sinden is currently Senior Advisor to the Owner and Alternate Governor.[4] It also describes Sinden as a top amateur player in Canada.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Harry Sinden" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Six Canadians go to International Hockey Hall", The StarPhoenix, May 12, 1997, p. 23 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Harry Sinden" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: MacAskill Welsh Clark Sellars 1992; "Harry Sinden's Bio", Sports Reference.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Harry Sinden" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Harry Sinden olympics.com" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Official Boston Bruins Website Boston Bruins", www.nhl.com. facts only, no text reused. nhl.com
- "Bruins celebrate centennial with team legends", Sports Business Journal, 2025-08-19. facts only, no text reused. sportsbusinessjournal.com
- "Official Boston Bruins Website Boston Bruins", www.nhl.com. facts only, no text reused. nhl.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Harry Sinden (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Builders and Executives
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Harry Sinden (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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