Harry Sinden: 2nd to Bobby Orr in 1966-67

1966-67 Topps is best known for its inclusion of one of the most important hockey cards in the history of the hobby, the Bobby Orr rookie card. The only other significant rookie card of a player in the set belongs to Pete Mahovlich. Orr’s RC is valued at $3000, while the Big M’s is valued at just $30. The second most valuable rookie card? That of Boston Bruins coach Harry Sinden, valued at $40.

The Harry Sinden rookie card appears as number 31 in the 1966-67 Topps set. Topps came out with 132 hockey cards that season with a complete set valued at $4500. This is the only hockey card of Sinden by a major manufacturer. Funny thing is, in the background on the front of the card, it’s not the Bruins playing. It’s the Toronto Maple Leafs versus either the Chicago Black Hawks or Montreal Canadiens.

Best known as the coach and general manager of the Boston Bruins, Sinden did once play the game. The defenseman played his junior hockey with the OHA’s Oshawa Generals from 1949-50 to 1952-53. His pro career saw him mostly toil in the EPHL and CPHL but he did reach the AHL for one game, with the Provindence Reds in 1962-63.

As a member of the EPHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, Sinden helped the team to the finals in 1961-62 and 1962-63. The first year, the Fronts fell to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens in six games. The following year, the team was crowned EPHL champions with a 4-1 win over the Sudbury Wolves. In his final year of hockey, 1965-66, Harry helped the Oklahoma City Blazers with the CPHL championship with a four game sweep of the Tulsa Oilers in the finals.

Sinden’s coaching career began while still a player. He acted as assistant with Kingston in 1962-63 and as player/head coach with the Minneapolis Bruins the following year. He took over as head coach with the Boston Bruins for the 1966-67 National Hockey League season. In just four years, he took that team from 17 wins to a Stanley Cup championship.

Harry’s Bruins, with the help of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, won the Stanley Cup in 1969-70 with a 4-0 sweep of the St. Louis Blues. His next success came as General Manager and Head Coach of Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. We all know how that one went.

After a two year hiatus, Sinden returned to Boston and remained as General Manager of the club until the 2000-01 season. As a ‘Senior Advisor to the Owner’, Harry’s name was inscribed on the Stanley Cup for the second time in 2010-11, 41 years after the first time.

In 1983, Harry was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders category. That same year saw three truly exceptional hockey players enter the Hall in Ken Dryden, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.