Sinden on the Tube

A while back I was able to pick up my very first card of a man whose name is well-known to hockey fans here in New England.  He's a somewhat polarizing and controversial figure with the fans.  He never played a single game in the NHL, but he is enshrined in the HOF nonetheless (as a builder).  Yes, it's none other than Harry Sinden!

I actually had no idea this card existed until stumbling upon it while browsing eBay one night.  I haven't gotten far enough backwards in my Topps hockey run to make much of a dent in the '60s yet, but I knew I wanted this card the moment I laid eyes on it.  It's actually my very first card from the '66-67 Topps set, and I'm really digging the wood-grain television design.

Sinden was a high-ranking member of the Bruins' organization for many, many years.  He became the head coach the very same year this card was printed, at the young age of 33.  Just a few years later he led the team to their first Stanley Cup win in decades.  At that point in time he didn't get along very well with the folks above him on the corporate ladder, and he ended up leaving the team almost immediately after winning the Stanley Cup.

He'd go on to coach the Canadian team in the 1972 Summit Series, and eventually return to Boston as GM.  Harry would serve in that role for close to 30 years!  Only the legendary Art Ross has held the position longer in the team's history.  While I was rooting for the Whalers for much of Harry's time at the helm of the B's, you had to admire the job he did as far as the Bruins making the playoffs.  Under his leadership Boston made the post-season for an incredible 29 straight seasons, a record that still stands.

As far as I know this is the only card of Sinden released prior to 1990 when the trading card industry really exploded.  Very pleased to have it in my hockey card collection, and even this graded copy in fantastic shape set me back much less than a blaster!