Docs Menu

Max Bentley

Born:March 1, 1920Draft:Undrafted
Hometown:Deslisle, SaskatchewanPosition:C
Known For:NHL FamilyShoots:Left
National Team:Canada

Maxwell Herbert Lloyd “Max” Bentley (March 1, 1920 – January 19, 1984) played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years. He was the NHL’s leading scorer twice in a row, and in 1946 won the Hart Trophy as most valuable player. He played in four All-Star Games and was twice named to a post-season All-Star team.

Bentley was one of six hockey-playing brothers, and at one point played with four of his brothers with the Drumheller Miners of the Alberta Senior Hockey League. In 1942–43, he made NHL history when he played on the league’s first all-brother line with Doug and Reg. He played five seasons in Chicago with Doug before a 1947 trade sent him to the Maple Leafs in one of the most significant transactions in NHL history to that point.

Bentley won three Stanley Cup championships with the Maple Leafs before spending a final NHL season with the Rangers in 1953–54. He then returned to his home in Saskatoon to finish his playing career. Considered one of the best players of his era, Bentley was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. Bentley was named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players of all-time by the NHL in 2017.

The Bentley Brothers, Chicago Blackhawks
Promotional portrait of the Bentley brothers, Reg (left), Max (center), and Doug, all of the Chicago Black Hawks, Chicago, Illinois, 1942. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

Max Bentley Statistics

Trade Tracker

DateTraded FromTraded WithTraded ToTraded For
November 2, 1947Chicago Blackhawks LogoCy ThomasToronto Maple LeafsGus Bodnar
Ernie Dickens
Bob Goldham
Bud Polle
Gaye Stewart
August 11, 1953Toronto Maple LeafsNew York RangersCash Considerations

Deeper Dive

Achievements

  • NHL First Team All-Star — 1946
  • NHL Second Team All-Star — 1947
  • NHL All-Star Game — 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951
  • Led NHL in Points — 1946, 1947
  • Lady Byng Memorial Trophy — 1943
  • Hart Memorial Trophy — 1946
  • Stanley Cup Champion — 1948, 1949, 1951
  • Inducted Into Hockey Hall of Fame — 1966

Sources