Harry Sinden
Builder, coach, and GM who shaped the Boston Bruins dynasty.
Harry James Sinden (born September 14, 1932) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and executive. Over his career, he held roles as coach, general manager, and president for the Boston Bruins, and he coached Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. He is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder and was part of the IIHF Hall of Fame’s first class in 1997.
Sinden began his playing days as a defenceman with the Toronto Marlboros bantams, then moved to junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association, where he played from 1949 to 1953. He spent the next six seasons in the OHA senior division with the Whitby Dunlops. As team captain, he led the Dunlops to an Allan Cup win in 1957 and a world championship at the 1958 Ice Hockey World Championships in Oslo. He guided the team to another Allan Cup in 1959 and earned a silver medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley as part of a Canadian squad built around the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, with Sinden one of four Dunlops added to strengthen the lineup.
The Montreal Canadiens placed Sinden on their negotiation list late in the 1959–60 season but never signed him. After a few games with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens in the Eastern Professional Hockey League, he met Bruins general manager Lynn Patrick and signed as a player-assistant coach for Boston’s EPHL affiliate, the Kingston Frontenacs, starting in 1960–61. He was named a first-team all-star and shared the league’s top defenseman award with Jean Gauthier in 1961–62. The next season, he repeated as the league’s best defenseman and was named MVP, helping Kingston win the league title. When the EPHL folded, the franchise became the Minneapolis Bruins of the Central Hockey League for 1963–64, with Sinden as player-coach. After two seasons, the team moved again to become the Oklahoma City Blazers, where Sinden finished his playing career in 1965–66, coaching the team to a league championship in his final season.
In May 1966, Sinden became head coach of the Boston Bruins at age 33, the youngest coach in the NHL at the time, taking over the league’s youngest roster. His first season, featuring rookie Bobby Orr, ended with the worst record in the league and no playoff berth.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 14 September 1932
- Birth Place
- Collins Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Career Start
- 1949
- Career End
- 1966
- Halloffame
- 1983 (Builder)
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Right
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 10
- Weight Lb
- 180
- Ntl Team
- CAN
- Career Start Coach
- 1960
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Sinden played defence for the Toronto Marlboros bantams and later the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1949 to 1953. He then played six seasons in the OHA senior division with the Whitby Dunlops, serving as team captain when they won the Allan Cup in 1957 and the 1958 Ice Hockey World Championships. He led the Dunlops to another Allan Cup in 1959 and won a silver medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics as a member of the Canadian national team. After a brief stint with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens, he was signed by Boston Bruins general manager Lynn Patrick as a player-assistant coach for the Kingston Frontenacs in 1960–61. He was named a first-team all-star, the league’s top defenseman in 1962 (shared with Jean Gauthier), and repeated as top defensive player and league MVP in 1963. He finished his playing career as player-coach of the Oklahoma City Blazers in 1965–66, leading them to a league championship.
Reader's Guide
Sinden became head coach of the Boston Bruins in May 1966 at age 33, the youngest coach in the NHL at the time. After a last-place finish in his first season, he led the team to a winning record in his second year, aided by the acquisitions of Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield. In his fourth season, 1969–70, he coached the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in 29 years, sweeping the St. Louis Blues. He retired days after winning the Cup due to a rocky relationship with management, then returned to hockey as head coach and manager of Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series, leading them to a come-from-behind win. He signed a five-year deal to return to the Bruins as general manager shortly after the series, succeeding Milt Schmidt. Over 28 years as GM, he set a record for most consecutive playoff seasons (29) and reached the Stanley Cup Finals five times (1974, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1990), though losing each time. He was named executive of the year by Sporting News in 1977 and 1990, and was the first NHL general manager to reach 1,000 wins. He also served on many league committees and was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1999. He stepped down as GM on October 25, 2000, remained as club president until 2006, and currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Owner.
Did You Know?
- Sinden was the youngest coach in the NHL at age 33 when he took over the Boston Bruins in 1966.
- He coached the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in 29 years in 1970, then retired days later due to a dispute with management.
- He maintained a tape-recorded diary during the 1972 Summit Series that was turned into a book, Hockey Showdown.
- As general manager, he set a North American major professional record of 29 consecutive playoff seasons.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Builders and Executives, Part 3 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced