Reg Sinclair

Reginald Alexander Sinclair (March 6, 1925 – November 14, 2013) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings and was twice named to play in an NHL All-Star Game. Sinclair quit hockey in 1953 after only three NHL seasons to focus on a business career. He served as a vice-president of Pepsi and as president and partner of Maritime Beverages.

Early life Sinclair was born in Lachine, Quebec. He was the youngest of Elizabeth and James Sinclair's four children and grew up in Montreal. Sinclair served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War between 1943 and 1945. He then enrolled at McGill University where he earned a degree in commerce in 1949. In a February 25, 1949, game against the University of Montreal Carabins, Sinclair scored ten points (three goals, seven assists), tying a school record for points in one game that he continues to share. The Saints reached the Eastern Canada Final for the 1950 Allan Cup, but lost the series to Ontario champions Toronto Marlboros. The National Hockey League (NHL)'s New York Rangers became interested in Sinclair as a result of his performance with Sherbrooke and signed him to a contract.

Sinclair made the Rangers roster out of training camp; he was the only first-year player to do so for New York. His 39 points led all NHL rookies in 1950–51 and tied for the team lead. Sinclair scored 23 points for Detroit in 1952–53 and played in his first three NHL playoff games, scoring one goal. Following the season, he shocked the Red Wings organization by quitting hockey.

Personal life Having worked for Pepsi during the hockey off-seasons, Sinclair opted to join the company full-time. He began his business career making $275 per month, less than one-quarter the salary he would have received in the NHL. He rose within the company and in 1965 had been promoted to vice president, Pepsi International. He later moved to Columbus, Georgia to work for Royal Crown Cola before returning to Canada where he became president and a partner in Maritime Beverages in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Sinclair met his wife Ronnie while training in Calgary during his tenure with the Air Force. The couple had three children: Jim, Colleen and Linda. Sinclair was a founding member of the Montreal Canadiens oldtimers, a team which helped raise money for Montreal's children's hospital. He was invited despite having never played with the Canadiens, the only such player to join the team at the time of its founding. He was President of the Saint John Board of Trade and was a member of the board of the Halifax Children's Hospital. Sinclair died on November 14, 2013, at Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1944–45 McGill Redmen MCHL 12 12 5 17 14 — — — — — 1945–46 McGill Redmen MCHL 9 9 3 12 10 3 3 2 5 4 1946–47 McGill Redmen MCHL 6 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1947–48 McGill Redmen MCHL 12 11 6 17 28 — — — — — 1948–49 McGill Redmen MCHL 12 21 14 35 17 — — — — — 1949–50 Sherbrooke Saints QSHL 56 15 31 46 94 12 7 9 16 24 1949–50 Sherbooke Saints Allan Cup — — — — — 10 8 6 14 10 1950–51 New York Rangers NHL 70 18 21 39 70 — — — — — 1951–52 New York Rangers NHL 69 20 10 30 33 — — — — — 1952–53 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 11 12 23 36 3 1 0 1 0 NHL totals 208 49 43 92 139 3 1 0 1 0