Bentley brothers made NHL history with Black Hawks in 1943

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 each Wednesday.
This week, Fischler turns the calendar back 80 years to the week when the two Bentley Brothers -- Doug and Max -- were briefly joined on the Chicago Black Hawks by third brother Reg during the 1942-43 NHL season. Their brief union proved truly unique with one play, in particular, standing out.

A fascinating form of hockey history was made exactly 80 years ago this week on (old) Madison Square Garden ice during a game between the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers. On Jan. 3, 1943, Chicago stalwarts Doug and Max Bentley teamed up with eldest brother Reg on a play that was inimitable to say the least.
Reg signed with the Black Hawks in Dec. 1942 after their lineup was decimated by World War II enlistments. The Chicago Tribune took note of this rarity, three Bentley's on the same team and on the same line.
"Brother pairs on NHL teams have not been uncommon, but a three brother act is," the Tribune proclaimed. "One of the three lines will consist entirely of brothers, Max Bentley will perform as pivot man and he will be flanked by relative Doug on his left and brother Reg on his right."
It took a while for the Bentleys to mesh but by the new year, 1943, they had gotten their act together. On Jan. 3 against the Rangers, they set a record that, to this day, has gone virtually unnoticed.
The significant event took place in the first period with the score 0-0. Covering the game for the New York Daily News, reporter Hy Turkin, wrote: "Reg Bentley batted the biscuit home out of a scrimmage with assists from his kid brothers, Doug and Max."
Apart from Turkin, many newsmen in the MSG press box failed to realize the historic meaning of Reg Bentley's goal although other historians eventually would take note the feat.
"It was the first time in NHL history when all three points were awarded to the same family," author Mike Commito wrote in his book, Hockey 365.
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Turkin and the Daily News made a big deal about the Bentley's three-way scoring play with a well-played sidebar on the sports pages.
"Not only do the Bentleys offer the only three-brother partnership to appear on a forward line of an NHL club in modern history," added Turkin, "but out there (in Delisle, Saskatchewan) are three other Bentley boys -- Roy, Jack and Scoop -- with sports records that hark back to the 1920's."
Reg also was close to Doug and Max playing for the Bentley's own baseball team on the Canadian prairies where semi-pro baseball was a big deal. Former Rangers goalie, coach and general manager Emile "The Cat" Francis often played with them.
"Last summer, the Bentley's team won $500 first money at a baseball tournament at the Saskatoon Fair," Turking wrote. "Doug played short, Max left field and Reg
was the catcher."
Their father, Bill Bentley, a former North Dakota speed skating champion before moving to Canada, raised an ice-loving family. Bill's seven daughters
comprised a Bentley women's hockey team of high calibre.
As for the all-Bentley three-pointer that night against the Rangers, Max remembered it well a decade later when he played for New York and I got to know him during the 1953-54 season. (Doug joined the Blueshirts in mid-season.)
"Sure that goal was a big deal for us," Max told me when he completed his NHL career with Doug again his teammate with the Rangers. "We Bentleys were a very tight family. For me and Doug, to get points on Reg's goal was hard to believe."
The senior of the three Bentley brothers opened the scoring that night early in the first period against New York goalie Jimmy Franks. That propelled Chicago to a 3-0 first-period lead. But the Rangers rallied to tie the game, 3-3, in the second and it ended in a 3-3 tie.
"Unfortunately," Max Bentley told me, "that was Reggie's only NHL goal and he didn't stay with us in Chicago very long although he had a nice career in the minors after the war."
Reg played only 11 NHL games that season and then entered the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II. Meanwhile, Doug and Max continued starring for Chicago.
Doug was the leading NHL scorer in the 1942-'43 season with 73 points while Max finished third only three points behind. A season later Doug wound up second in League scoring. Doug also was the league's goal-scoring leader both seasons.
Writing in the Daily News, Turkin concluded: "The Bentleys are like baseball's famous Dean twosome (Dizzy and Paul) with Doug the man of words and Max content to let it be that way. But they're like two peas in a pod."
And for one unforgettable night, three "peas" combined for one historic goal!