Doug Bentley

Lore & Background

Bentley was one of six hockey-playing brothers and at one point played with four of them on the Drumheller Miners. He made NHL history in 1943 when he played on the league's first all-brother line with Max and Reg. Injuries forced him out of the NHL in 1951, but he returned in 1953–54 to play one last season for the Rangers with Max. He also spent several seasons as a player-coach for the Saskatoon Quakers, leading them to the Pacific Coast Hockey League championship in 1952.

Reader's Guide

Doug Bentley's significance lies in his scoring achievements during the 1940s, when he led the NHL in points and goals in 1942–43 and in goals again in 1943–44. He was the first Black Hawks player to finish as the NHL scoring leader and tied Cooney Weiland's record for points in a season. His role on the first all-brother line in NHL history, alongside Max and Reg, is a unique milestone. Despite being rejected by the Toronto Maple Leafs as too small, he became a four-time All-Star and was named Chicago's top hockey player of the half-century by the Herald American in 1950. His career also included a stint as a player-coach, leading Saskatoon to a championship. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964.

Did You Know?

• Doug Bentley was one of six hockey-playing brothers and played on the NHL's first all-brother line with Max and Reg in 1943.
• He was named Chicago's top hockey player of the half-century in 1950 by the Herald American.

Prairie Roots and the Family Hockey Dynasty

Doug Bentley grew up in Delisle, Saskatchewan, as the fifth of six boys in a household of thirteen children. His father, Bill, had emigrated from Yorkshire, England, and before settling on the prairie had earned a reputation as a speed skating champion in North Dakota. Bill also served as mayor of Delisle and helped build the town's covered skating rink. Hockey was woven into the family's identity — all six boys played the sport, and their father genuinely believed each one possessed NHL-caliber talent. The eldest four, however, spent most of their careers in senior hockey across the Canadian Prairies owing to farm duties. Doug, a slender 145-pound skater, honed his game through endless summer street hockey and winter ice sessions alongside his brothers. Bill flooded a sheet of ice the length of a regulation rink but far narrower, drilling the boys to maintain puck control through tight, hard turns. That foundation of speed and agility became Bentley's defining trait on the ice.

Scoring Dominance and the Pony Line

After signing with the Chicago Black Hawks in the fall of 1939, Bentley spent two seasons developing before erupting into the NHL's top scorer. In 1942–43, he tallied 73 points, tying Cooney Weiland's league record for a single season and becoming the first Black Hawks player ever to lead the NHL in scoring. He also finished second in Hart Trophy voting. The following year, he again topped the league in goals with 38, earning back-to-back first-team All-Star selections at left wing. After World War II, Bentley reunited with brother Max and Bill Mosienko to form the "Pony Line" — a trio of small, lightning-fast players who became one of the league's most prolific scoring units. In 1945–46, Max led the NHL with 61 points while Doug contributed 40 in just 36 games, and he improved to 55 points the following season. Across his 13 NHL seasons, Bentley earned four All-Star team selections and remains one of the most efficient scorers in Black Hawks history.

The All-Brother Line and Historic Play

On January 1, 1943, Doug Bentley made NHL history when he, Max, and Reg became the first all-brother line in league history, playing together for the Black Hawks during a war-depleted roster. Two nights later, Max and Doug combined to assist on Reg's first and only NHL goal — the sole instance in league history where three family members recorded the goal and both assists on a single scoring play. Bentley's postseason brilliance was equally historic. In the 1944 semifinals, he scored three goals in both Game 4 and Game 5, becoming the first NHL player to record consecutive hat tricks in the playoffs, a feat not matched again until Jari Kurri in 1985. He was also the first Black Hawks player to record a playoff hat trick. In a bizarre 1944 incident, Canadian officials refused to let Bentley re-enter the United States after an exhibition game, and military authorities granted him permission to return home for the war's duration. He played for the Laura Beavers of the Saskatchewan Intermediate League, who captured the western Canadian intermediate championship.

Later Career, Coaching, and Hall of Fame Legacy

Beyond his NHL stardom, Bentley's career stretched from 1933 to 1962, a remarkable 29-year span. Injuries sidelined him from the NHL in 1951, but he returned for one final season with the New York Rangers in 1953–54, playing alongside Max. Between his NHL stints, he served as a player-coach for the Saskatoon Quakers, guiding them to the Pacific Coast Hockey League championship in 1952. Before his NHL career, he had also played with four brothers for the Drumheller Miners in the Alberta Senior Hockey League, and he helped run a family gas station in Drumheller when not on the ice. His senior career included leading the South-Saskatchewan Senior League in scoring in 1936–37 with 37 points, plus another 14 in the playoffs. In 1937, he and Elmer Lach attended Toronto Maple Leafs training camp but were both turned away as too small. Bentley was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964, cementing his place among the game's greats.