Russ Sinkewich
Russ Sinkewich is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who most recently played for the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL.
Playing career
Before launching his professional career, Sinkewich spent four seasons playing collegiate hockey at Bowling [Green State University]. As a member of the Bowling [Green Falcons men's ice hockey] team, he competed at the NCAA Division I level, where he developed his skills as a reliable defenseman.In the 2011–12 season, his fourth as a pro, Sinkewich started the year with the Alaska Aces for the second straight season. He was once again loaned to the Abbotsford Heat, where his strong performance over 21 games led to him earning an AHL contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on February 29, 2012, for the rest of the season.
With no AHL offers for the upcoming season, Sinkewich chose to return to the Alaska Aces, signing on for a third straight year. During the 2012-13 [ECHL season|2012–13] season, he played 23 games with the Aces before being traded to the Gwinnett Gladiators on December 13, 2012. There, he tallied 3 goals in 11 games, which helped catch the attention of the AHL's Portland Pirates. He joined the Pirates later that season and stayed with the team for the remainder of the year.
During the subsequent off-season, Sinkewich's ECHL rights were first dealt by the Gwinnett Gladiators to the San Francisco Bulls on June 10, 2013. A few months later, on August 27, 2013, the Bulls traded him to the Colorado Eagles in exchange for defenseman Collin Bowman.