© Getty Images

• Link copied

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as “The Hockey Maven,” shares his humor and insight with readers every Wednesday. 

This week features six of his favorite brother acts from yesteryear. In each case, the brothers played on the same team during their NHL careers, but one pair actually predated the League and later starred for the Montreal Canadiens.

In terms of sibling duos, hockey stands out among all the major sports, as it not only boasts starry brother acts in the NHL, but also within the same team. Here, I present my top six favorite pairs from the past, listed in alphabetical order.

1. MAX AND DOUG BENTLEY: When they were teammates on the Chicago Black Hawks in the early 1940s, Max was the center on a razzle-dazzle line with Doug at left wing and Bill “Wee Willie” Mosienko on the right side. Since they had plenty of giddyap, it was appropriately nicknamed “The Pony Line” and all three eventually were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Max, known as Speedy Max, was described by one writer as gliding on the ice “like a water bug on a pond.” On the other hand, Doug possessed exceptional skills as a playmaker and shooter. Unfortunately, neither Max nor Doug had the opportunity to play for a team that won the Stanley Cup. However, on November 2, 1947, Max was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for five players. In a brief reunion during the late 1953-54 season with the New York Rangers, Doug and Max showcased their impressive talents once again.

2. SPRAGUE AND ODIE CLEGHORN: The Cleghorns did not play hockey according to Good Housekeeping magazine rules. Yet their dual talents were so high-class that they
were the first outstanding Canadian stickhandlers to be invited to play in New York for the Wanderers when pro hockey was in its infancy. Manhattan journalists lauded them for their excellence but also faulted their excessive rough play at their home rink, St. Nicholas Arena in Manhattan, not far from Times Square.

As NHL pros, they starred for the Montreal Canadiens from 1921-22 through 1924-25. Odie played forward and did so with less boisterousness than Sprague, a defenseman and Hall of Famer. The latter symbolized the violent style of “Old Time Hockey,” and considered intimidation and rugged individualism as keys to his success.
 
The pair were the closest of siblings. On July 14, 1956, two days after Sprague’s death and when his funeral was about to commence, Odie was found dead of a heart attack.

3. BILL AND ‘BUN’ COOK: Admired for their creativity in Western Canadian hockey circles, the Cooks were lured to the NHL when the Rangers were organized in the fall of 1926. The Rangers’ original talent scout, Conn Smythe, had seen the Cooks in action and persuaded them to skate for the second New York-based NHL team. Smythe was fired before the Cooks’ inaugural season began, but new general manager Lester Patrick realized that he had a pair of aces.

Patrick made a wise decision by bringing Frank Boucher, another valuable discovery by Smythe, into the team. Within a short period, they became known as “The Bread Line.” Bill Cook, a highly decorated hero from World War I, assumed the role of team captain and led the Rangers to victory in the Stanley Cup in both 1928 and 1933. Fred, Patrick’s younger brother, possessed remarkable speed and agility, earning him the nickname “Bunny,” which was eventually shortened to “Bun.”

Boucher, the last crucial element in the offensive strategy, thrived alongside the Cooks. His exceptional passing skills and fair play earned him the nickname “Raffles,” inspired by the renowned fictional British safecracker. Boucher’s remarkable abilities on the ice led him to win the Lady Byng Trophy a remarkable seven times. In recognition of his unprecedented achievements, Lady Byng personally presented him with the original trophy and commissioned another one for future recipients.

4. BOBBY AND DENNIS HULL: After too many years near the bottom of the six-team NHL, the Black Hawks began their climb to respectability in the late 1950s with the arrival of left wing Bobby Hull. A powerful skater, armed with a frighteningly lethal shot, the handsome, young ace soon became the face of the NHL. Along with teammate Stan Mikita, Hull introduced the curved stick as a further weapon to torment goalies and in 1961, his Windy City sextet won the Cup for the first time since 1938.

In 1964, Dennis, the younger brother, became a member of the Black Hawks, but his presence was quickly overshadowed by the legendary “The Golden Jet.” Despite this, Dennis possessed a remarkable sense of humor, which he would later transform into a successful career in standup comedy. Skating in his brother’s shadow, Dennis experienced immense pressure. Although he didn’t possess the same level of strength or dominance as Bobby, he proved himself as a dependable second line forward with the potential to be a scoring threat.

During their time as teammates from 1964 to 1971, they collectively scored 550 goals and earned 1,032 points. As a sibling duo, their best performance was witnessed in the 1968-69 season, where they scored a remarkable total of 88 goals and accumulated 171 points. However, despite their impressive reign, they were unable to secure a second Stanley Cup championship.

5. DON AND NICK METZ: There never has been a family twosome that could match these siblings from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, nor the irony of their production. Nick, the elder Metz, became a full-time Maple Leaf in the late 1930s and was renowned as a penalty-killer extraordinaire and an all-round utility forward. 

“Whenever there was a job to be done,” stated Smythe, the owner of the Maple Leafs, “Nick was always the one to step up and take charge.”

By contrast, Don had a lot to do to gain a full-time job with Toronto Leafs. 
 
“I sent him down to the American League a lot of times,” Smythe said, “but I also knew that when I’d recall him, Don would somehow come through. He had that knack.” 

The realization occurred in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final between Toronto and the Detroit Red Wings when Maple Leafs coach Hap Day made a significant decision. Trailing 3-0 in the best-of-7 series, Day decided to sit his top scorer, Gordie Drillon, and instead brought in Don Metz. Surprisingly, Metz played exceptionally well and was instrumental in leading Toronto to an extraordinary four-game winning streak, ultimately securing them the Cup.

Don’s career is truly remarkable as he managed to win five Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs despite never completing a full season with the team. Only Turk Broda and Ted Kennedy, both Hall of Famers, were able to achieve this same accomplishment in the history of the team.

In contrast to Don’s five Cup victories, Nick, who was never sent down to the minors, managed to secure the Cup four times.

6. MAURICE AND HENRI RICHARD: In a sense, the contrast between the Richards and the Metz brothers has some similarities. For one thing, Maurice, aptly nicknamed “The Rocket,” has gone down in hockey history as the most explosive, not to mention tempestuous, player of all time. On the other hand, Henri was so quiet that Canadiens coach Toe Blake once opined, “I don’t know what language he speaks because I never hear a peep out of him.”

By the time Henri made his NHL debut in the 1955-56 season, Maurice had already established himself as a record breaker with 50 goals in 50 games and had triumphed in the Stanley Cup three times.

“The intention was to send him back to our junior team,” stated Canadiens coach Toe Blake, “however, he adamantly refused since he consistently outperformed every participant in our training camp practices, proving himself as the most exceptional player.”

From their inaugural game, Blake expertly formed a winning combination by teaming up Henri with big brother Maurice and the celebrated left wing Dickie Moore, destined for the Hall of Fame.

Canadiens managing director Frank Selke Sr. mentioned, “Blake’s debut year as a coach was marked by positive influence from Toe and Henri. Initially, Rocket believed he had to be protective of the young player, but it turned out that Henri had no need for anyone to look after him.”

Henri, with minimal fuss and fanfare, achieved a remarkable feat by playing for 11 Stanley Cup-winning teams, surpassing all other NHL players, including his older brother. One of their most remarkable accomplishments was being part of the only NHL team (1956-60) to secure the Cup for five consecutive seasons while gracefully skating on the ice.