Harry Sinden
Encyclopedia
Harry James Sinden was the long-time general manager, coach, and president for the Boston Bruins
NHL
hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada
during the 1972 Summit Series. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
in the builders category.
of the Ontario Hockey Association
for junior hockey. He played in Oshawa from 1949 to 1953 and then played six seasons in the OHA senior division with the Whitby Dunlops
. Sinden was team captain when the Dunlops won the Allan Cup
in 1957. The Dunlops with Sinden then went on to win the 1958 World Hockey Championship for Canada in Oslo, Norway. Sinden also won a silver medal as a member of the Canadian national men's hockey team
at the 1960 Winter Olympics
in Squaw Valley, California
. The core of the team was the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
, with Sinden one of four players from the Dunlops added to the lineup to strengthen the team for the Olympics.
Near the end of the season, the Montreal Canadiens
placed Sinden on their negotiation list, but the two did not reach an agreement. Sinden played some games with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens
in the Eastern Professional Hockey League and met Lynn Patrick
, general manager of the Boston Bruins
. Patrick signed Sinden as player-assistant coach for the Kingston Frontenacs
, the Bruins' EPHL affiliate, starting in 1960–61. Sinden was named a first-team all-star for the 1961–62 season and league MVP for 1962–63. After the league folded, the team became the Minneapolis Bruins
of the Central Hockey League for the 1963–64 season, with Sinden as player-coach. After two seasons, the team moved again, becoming the Oklahoma City Blazers
, where Sinden finished his playing career in the 1965–66 season after six seasons with the franchise. In his final season, he coached the team to the league championship.
—the Bruins finished out of the playoffs with the worst record in the league. By his second year, aided by the acquisition of Phil Esposito
from the Chicago Black Hawks
, the team posted a winning record, and in Sinden's third season, the Bruins finished with 100 points, just behind the Montreal Canadiens
for top spot in the NHL. In his fourth season, 1969–70, he coached the Bruins to the their first Stanley Cup
in 29 years.
. In October 1970, Sports Illustrated
published a story by Sinden where he said he left the Bruins because they had refused mid-season to give him a raise for the following year.
Sinden was offered the job as first head coach of the New York Islanders
at the beginning of 1972, but turned it down. He also rejected offers from the Toronto Maple Leafs
and the St. Louis Blues. In June 1972, after two years away from hockey, he was named head coach and manager of the Canadian team for the eight-game Summit Series
. After a slow start, he led the Canadians to a come-from-behind win, capped by Paul Henderson
's series-winning goal with 34 seconds remaining in the final game. Esposito, reunited with Sinden, was the leading scorer in the series.
Sinden maintained a tape recorded diary throughout the series, which was turned into a book, Hockey Showdown, published in 1972.
, who was made executive director. Sinden would spend just over 28 years as general manager of the Bruins, almost surpassing the 30-year tenure (1924–54) of the team's founding manager, Art Ross
. He added the title of club president in 1989, and remained as the chief executive of the club until the summer of 2006, when he retired to a consulting role.
As GM, Sinden presided over the team's long years of consistent success, setting the North American major professional record for most consecutive seasons in the playoffs with 30, which including making the finals five times (1974, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1990) and two regular season first place finishes (1983, 1990).
Recently, Sinden was the subject of controversies ranging from video replays to salary arbitration, and was under frequent fire from Bruins' fans. In the 1996–97 season, the NHL fined him $5,000 USD for verbal abuse towards a video replay official
after a goal was disallowed in the second period during a game between the Bruins and the Ottawa Senators
. Sinden also refused a salary arbitration award, letting Dmitri Khristich
, a 29-goal scorer, leave the team with no compensation. Sinden had been highly critical of Khristich's performance in the playoffs and was angered when an arbitrator awarded him a salary of $2.8 million.
Currently, Sinden is the Senior Advisor to the Owner for the Bruins, as well as a member of the selection committee for the Hockey Hall of Fame
. He is also a "Hockey GM & Scouting" instructor. for the online sports career training school, Sports Management Worldwide
, in Portland, OR. In 2011 Harry Sinden got his name on the Stanley Cup for a 2nd time. It was 41 years between Stanley Cup wins for Harry Sinden.
. Sinden is the godfather
of Canadian rock musician Gordon Downie
, lead singer of The Tragically Hip
.
in Canada Russia '72
, a television miniseries based on the 1972 Summit Series
.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada
Canadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
during the 1972 Summit Series. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in the builders category.
Playing career
Sinden played defence for the Toronto Marlboro bantams before moving up to the Oshawa GeneralsOshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
of the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
for junior hockey. He played in Oshawa from 1949 to 1953 and then played six seasons in the OHA senior division with the Whitby Dunlops
Whitby Dunlops
The Whitby Dunlops are a team in Major League Hockey. Two previous teams have also played as the Whitby Dunlops. The first was an OHA Senior team from 1954 to 1960. The second was a junior team from 1962 to 1963....
. Sinden was team captain when the Dunlops won the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
in 1957. The Dunlops with Sinden then went on to win the 1958 World Hockey Championship for Canada in Oslo, Norway. Sinden also won a silver medal as a member of the Canadian national men's hockey team
Canadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
at the 1960 Winter Olympics
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
in Squaw Valley, California
Squaw Valley Ski Resort
Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California, is one of the largest ski areas in the United States, and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. It is the second-largest ski area at Lake Tahoe , with 33 chairlifts, and has the only funitel lift in the U.S...
. The core of the team was the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
Berlin Dutchmen
The Berlin Dutchmen were an early professional ice hockey team operating out of Berlin, Ontario, from 1907 in the Ontario Professional Hockey League . The Berlin team is notable for challenging for the Stanley Cup in 1910 versus the Montreal Wanderers...
, with Sinden one of four players from the Dunlops added to the lineup to strengthen the team for the Olympics.
Near the end of the season, the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
placed Sinden on their negotiation list, but the two did not reach an agreement. Sinden played some games with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens
Hull-Ottawa Canadiens
The Hull-Ottawa Canadiens were a team in the Ontario Hockey Association Senior "A" league for 3 seasons from 1956-59. The team played an interlocking schedule in 1956-57 with the Quebec Senior Hockey League. The Canadiens then played in the Eastern Professional Hockey League from 1959-63...
in the Eastern Professional Hockey League and met Lynn Patrick
Lynn Patrick
Joseph Lynn Patrick was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. As a player, Patrick played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. Lynn was an important member of one Stanley Cup title the Rangers won in 1940. After his playing career, he went on to be the general...
, general manager of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. Patrick signed Sinden as player-assistant coach for the Kingston Frontenacs
Kingston Frontenacs (EPHL)
The Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League were a minor league professional ice hockey team affiliated with the NHL's Boston Bruins....
, the Bruins' EPHL affiliate, starting in 1960–61. Sinden was named a first-team all-star for the 1961–62 season and league MVP for 1962–63. After the league folded, the team became the Minneapolis Bruins
Minneapolis Bruins
The Minneapolis Bruins were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League from 1963 to 1965. Minneapolis operated as a farm team to the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins. The team originated as the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League, which...
of the Central Hockey League for the 1963–64 season, with Sinden as player-coach. After two seasons, the team moved again, becoming the Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
, where Sinden finished his playing career in the 1965–66 season after six seasons with the franchise. In his final season, he coached the team to the league championship.
Coaching in the NHL
In May 1966, Sinden moved to the NHL as the head coach of the Boston Bruins. At 33, he was the youngest coach in the league at the time, coaching the youngest team. In his first season—with a team that included rookie Bobby OrrBobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
—the Bruins finished out of the playoffs with the worst record in the league. By his second year, aided by the acquisition of Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
from the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, the team posted a winning record, and in Sinden's third season, the Bruins finished with 100 points, just behind the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
for top spot in the NHL. In his fourth season, 1969–70, he coached the Bruins to the their first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 29 years.
Retirement and Summit Series
Despite his success with the team, Sinden had a rocky relationship with Bruins management during the championship season, which led to the 37 year-old Sinden announcing his retirement just days after winning the Cup. The club placed him on its voluntary retired list, preventing him from taking a job with another team for one year. Sinden accepted a job with Stirling Homex Corp., a home construction company in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. In October 1970, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
published a story by Sinden where he said he left the Bruins because they had refused mid-season to give him a raise for the following year.
Sinden was offered the job as first head coach of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
at the beginning of 1972, but turned it down. He also rejected offers from the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the St. Louis Blues. In June 1972, after two years away from hockey, he was named head coach and manager of the Canadian team for the eight-game Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
. After a slow start, he led the Canadians to a come-from-behind win, capped by Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames...
's series-winning goal with 34 seconds remaining in the final game. Esposito, reunited with Sinden, was the leading scorer in the series.
Sinden maintained a tape recorded diary throughout the series, which was turned into a book, Hockey Showdown, published in 1972.
Returns to the Bruins
Within days after the Summit Series, Sinden signed a five-year deal with the Bruins to become the team's general manager, succeeding Milt SchmidtMilt Schmidt
Milton Conrad Schmidt is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre, coach and general manager, mostly for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
, who was made executive director. Sinden would spend just over 28 years as general manager of the Bruins, almost surpassing the 30-year tenure (1924–54) of the team's founding manager, Art Ross
Art Ross
Arthur Howey "Art" Ross was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first to skate with the puck up the ice rather than pass it to a forward...
. He added the title of club president in 1989, and remained as the chief executive of the club until the summer of 2006, when he retired to a consulting role.
As GM, Sinden presided over the team's long years of consistent success, setting the North American major professional record for most consecutive seasons in the playoffs with 30, which including making the finals five times (1974, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1990) and two regular season first place finishes (1983, 1990).
Recently, Sinden was the subject of controversies ranging from video replays to salary arbitration, and was under frequent fire from Bruins' fans. In the 1996–97 season, the NHL fined him $5,000 USD for verbal abuse towards a video replay official
after a goal was disallowed in the second period during a game between the Bruins and the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Sinden also refused a salary arbitration award, letting Dmitri Khristich
Dmitri Khristich
Dmytro Anatoliiovych "Dmitri" Khristich is a former professional ice hockey player. The Ukrainian played 811 games in the NHL in his career, for the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs...
, a 29-goal scorer, leave the team with no compensation. Sinden had been highly critical of Khristich's performance in the playoffs and was angered when an arbitrator awarded him a salary of $2.8 million.
Currently, Sinden is the Senior Advisor to the Owner for the Bruins, as well as a member of the selection committee for the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. He is also a "Hockey GM & Scouting" instructor. for the online sports career training school, Sports Management Worldwide
Sports Management Worldwide
Sports Management Worldwide is a sports agency and private for-profit sports management training institution based in Portland, Oregon. It is an accredited online Sports Management school and is certified by the Oregon Department of Education. SMWW offers online sports career training courses, and...
, in Portland, OR. In 2011 Harry Sinden got his name on the Stanley Cup for a 2nd time. It was 41 years between Stanley Cup wins for Harry Sinden.
Personal life
Sinden and his wife, Eleanor have four daughters and reside in Winchester, MassachusettsWinchester, Massachusetts
Winchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now an affluent suburb...
. Sinden is the godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
of Canadian rock musician Gordon Downie
Gordon Downie
Gordon Edgar Downie is a Canadian rock musician, writer and occasional actor. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He has released three solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001, Battle of the Nudes in 2003; and The Grand Bounce in 2010...
, lead singer of The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
.
Pop culture
Sinden was played by Booth SavageBooth Savage
Booth Savage is a Canadian film, stage, and television actor. He graduated with an MFA from York University in 1992. He is in the Canadore College Theatre program faculty. He is best known to Canadian TV viewers for his role as Team Canada head coach Harry Sinden in the 2006 CBC miniseries...
in Canada Russia '72
Canada Russia '72
Canada Russia '72 is a 2006 Canadian documentary-style miniseries about the 1972 Summit Series. The two-part miniseries was directed by T. W. Peacocke and written by Barrie Dunn and Malcolm MacRury...
, a television miniseries based on the 1972 Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
.