Harry Sinden - Playing Career

Playing Career

Sinden played defence for the Toronto Marlboro bantams before moving up to the Oshawa Generals 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.