Max Bentley
Encyclopedia
Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley (March 1, 1920 – January 19, 1984) was a Canadian
ice hockey
forward
who played for the Chicago Black Hawks
, Toronto Maple Leafs
, and New York Rangers
in the National Hockey League
(NHL) as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years. He was a two-time Art Ross Trophy
winner as the NHL's leading scorer, 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.
, Saskatchewan. He was the youngest of six boys, and one of thirteen children. His father Bill was a native of Yorkshire
, England who emigrated to the United States as a child and became a speed skating
champion in North Dakota
before settling in Delisle. He became mayor and helped build the town's covered skating rink. All of the Bentley children were athletes, and all six brothers played hockey. Bill Bentley believed that all six boys could have played in the National Hockey League
(NHL), though responsibilities on the family farm resulted in the eldest four boys spending the majority of their careers playing senior hockey on the Canadian Prairies
.
His father taught Bentley to play hockey on their farm, where the family patriarch believed the daily chores would give his children the strength to have strong shots. Bentley's father also taught him to use his speed to elude bigger and stronger opponents as he weighed only 155 pounds fully grown. He played two years in Rosetown, Saskatchewan
between 1935 and 1937 where he led the Saskatchewan Intermediate league in scoring as a 16-year-old. He moved onto the Drumheller Miners
of the Alberta Senior Hockey League
(ASHL) in 1937, leading that league in scoring while playing on a line with brothers Roy and Wyatt. The trio were joined in Drumheller by Doug
and Reg
for the 1938–39 season. The family operated a gas station in town when not playing hockey.
. Believing him too small to play in the NHL, the Bruins sent him home. He then traveled to Montreal for a tryout with the Canadiens
. The team advised him to see a doctor who stated he had a heart condition, and that if he did not quit hockey, he would be dead within a year. Bentley chose to continue playing, but developed into a hypochondriac following the diagnosis. He constantly complained of aches, pains and ailments, and carried so many drugs and medications he was known as a "walking drug store".
He played two years of senior hockey in Drumheller, and one more with the Saskatoon Quakers
in the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League
(SSHL) before playing his first professional games with the Providence Reds
of the American Hockey League
(AHL) in 1940–41
. He caught the attention of the Chicago Black Hawks
, and while the team was impressed with his play, they wanted him to start with their American Hockey Association (AHA) affiliate in Kansas City. Bentley initially refused, and considered retiring. He was convinced to report by Kansas City's coach, Johnny Gottselig
, and played only five games before injuries in Chicago led the Black Hawks to request a call-up. Gottselig sent Bentley up, reuniting him with brother Doug who had joined Chicago in 1939. Max played his first NHL game on November 21, 1940, against the Bruins. He scored his first goal on December 1 against the New York Rangers
.
In his third NHL season, 1942–43
, Bentley scored 70 points to finish third in the league in scoring. He finished three points behind brother Doug, who won the scoring title. Max tied an NHL record by scoring four goals in one period of a 10–1 victory over the Rangers on January 28, 1943. He added three assists in the game, tying the league record at the time for points in one game with seven. He was called for only one penalty
during the season, and as a result was voted the winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
as the league's most sportsmanlike player.
World War II had decimated the rosters of all NHL teams, and with the Black Hawks searching for players, Max and Doug convinced the team to sign their brother Reg. The trio made history on January 1, 1943, when they became the first all-brother line the NHL had seen. Two nights later, Max and Doug assisted on Reg's first, and only, NHL goal, the only time in league history that a trio of family members recorded the goal and assists on a scoring play. While Max and Doug were established NHL stars, Reg played only 11 games in his NHL career.
Bentley's career was interrupted in 1943 when he joined the Canadian Infantry Corps
. He was briefly stationed in Victoria
, British Columbia, where he completed the 1942–43 season playing with the Victoria Navy team then spent the following two years stationed in Calgary
where he played with the Calgary Currie Army team in the Canadian military leagues. He led the Alberta league in goals and points with 18 and 31 respectively in 1943–44.
Following the war, Bentley returned to the Black Hawks where he was reunited with his brother Doug and joined on a line by Bill Mosienko
. The trio, who were all small and exceptionally fast, were dubbed the "Pony Line" and emerged as one of the top scoring lines in the league. Max led the league in scoring with 61 points, and was awarded the Hart Trophy
as the league's most valuable player. He was the first Black Hawk to ever win the award.
Bentley again lead the league in scoring in 1946–47, recording 72 points in 60 games. He won the title on the final night of the season, finishing one point ahead of Montreal's Maurice Richard
. In doing so, he became only the third player in NHL history to win consecutive scoring titles after Charlie Conacher
and Sweeney Schriner
, both of whom accomplished the feat in the 1930s. He then played in the 1st National Hockey League All-Star Game
on October 13, 1947, for the NHL All-Stars, a 4–3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
in exchange for Gus Bodnar
, Bud Poile
, Gaye Stewart
, Ernie Dickens
and Bob Goldham
, on November 2, 1947. The trade sent shockwaves throughout the league. The five players sent to Chicago essentially formed an entire starting unit; NHL President Clarence Campbell
stated he was "astounded" by the deal, and stated it ranked with the Maple Leafs' purchase of King Clancy
in 1930 as one of the most significant transactions in league history. The trade was still being discussed weeks later as observers throughout the league attempted to assess which team received the better deal. Bentley was initially disappointed to leave his brother in Chicago, but quickly adapted to Toronto where he was immediately popular.
With the Leafs, Bentley challenged for his third consecutive scoring title. He eventually finished fifth with 54 points, seven behind Elmer Lach
's league-leading 61. The Leafs finished in first place in the regular season standings, then went on to win the Stanley Cup
in a four-game sweep over the Detroit Red Wings
in the 1948 Stanley Cup Final. Bentley was overjoyed, stating: "I waited a long time for this. A Stanley Cup championship at last!"
Bentley and the Leafs struggled in the 1948–49 regular season. He fell to 41 points on the year – 31 less than his total of two seasons previous – while the Leafs finished fourth out of six teams. The team recovered in the playoffs, eliminating the Red Wings in four consecutive games for the second year in a row to win the team's third consecutive Stanley Cup. Bentley scored the third goal in a 3–1 win in the deciding contest.
The Leafs' championship streak came to an end in 1949–50 but Bentley showed a modest improvement offensively, leading the team with 23 goals. He contemplated retiring and returning to Saskatchewan, but chose to return to Toronto for the 1950–51 season. He finished the season with significantly improved scoring totals, finishing third in the league with 62 points, behind Maurice Richard's 66, and Gordie Howe
's league-record 86. The Leafs faced the Canadiens in the 1951 Stanley Cup Final, which was won by Toronto in five games. Bentley finished with 13 points in the playoffs, tying him with Richard for the league lead.
After finishing the 1951–52 season with 41 points, Bentley contemplated his future in hockey. He mused about an opportunity to coach the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Hockey League
(WHL) and stated a desire to play again with his brother Doug, but ultimately returned to Toronto. He only played in 36 games in 1952–53 after suffering a back injury, but reached 500 career points on November 5, 1952, with two goals against the Rangers.
, where Doug had become coach. The Maple Leafs ultimately supported Bentley's request. At the time he was granted his release, he was second amongst all active players with 245 goals, behind only Richard.
He joined the Quakers in November 1954 to great excitement in Saskatoon. Bentley finished the season with 41 points in 40 games. He began the 1955–56 season with Saskatoon, but retired on November 15, 1955, due to recurring back problems. He played his final game on that night, scoring his final goal in an 8–3 victory over the Winnipeg Warriors
.
In 1956, Bentley joined his brother Doug in hockey management when the brothers launched a new Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
(SJHL) team in Saskatoon. He attempted to get into coaching, first offering his services to the WHL's Vancouver Canucks
in the winter of 1961, before going south to coach the Burbank Stars of the California Hockey league in 1962. His nephew Bev and son Lynn played with him in Burbank, while Doug was the player-coach of the rival Long Beach Gulls.
Bentley was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1966, two years after his brother Doug. One year later, Max and Doug were inducted together into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. The Hockey News
ranked him 48th on its 1998 list of the top 100 players of all time.
in the summers. Representing their hometown of Delisle, they participated in regional tournaments and were repeat winners. Bentley played summer baseball throughout the 1950s, and was a member of the Saskatoon Gems of the Western Canada Senior League. He was also a long-time curler
, often playing with his brothers, son and nephews.
The majority of Bentley's time away from the hockey rink was spent on the family farm outside Delisle. The Bentleys operated a large farm, raising cattle and growing wheat, and Max tended to return to the farm to recuperate during hockey seasons when he felt he needed to rest up. He and his wife Betty had a son, Lynn, who was also a hockey player. Bentley died at his home in Saskatoon on January 19, 1984, at the age of 63.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played for the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years. He was a two-time Art Ross Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
winner as the NHL's leading scorer, and in 1946 won the Hart Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as most valuable player. He played in four All-Star Games
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
and was twice named to a post-season All-Star team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
.
Bentley was one of six hockey-playing brothers, and at one point played with four of his brothers with the Drumheller Miners
Drumheller Miners
The Drumheller Miners were a senior ice hockey team based in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.Two incarnations of the team existed. The first was a member of the Alberta Senior Hockey League in the late 1930s. The Miners playing in the ASHL featured the five Bentley brothers, Doug, Max, Reg, Roy and...
of the Alberta Senior Hockey League
Alberta Senior Hockey League
The Alberta Senior Hockey League or ASHL was a senior level ice hockey league that operated between 1936 and 1941 in Alberta, Canada. In 1941 the league ceased operations due to World War II....
. In 1942–43
1942–43 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, he made NHL history when he played on the league's first all-brother line with Doug
Doug Bentley
Douglas Wagner Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers as part of a senior and professional career that spanned nearly three decades...
and Reg
Reg Bentley
Reginald Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 11 games in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks as part of a 20-year senior and professional career...
. 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
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
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
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1966.
Early life
Bentley was born March 1, 1920, in DelisleDelisle, Saskatchewan
-References:...
, Saskatchewan. He was the youngest of six boys, and one of thirteen children. His father Bill was a native of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England who emigrated to the United States as a child and became a speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
champion in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
before settling in Delisle. He became mayor and helped build the town's covered skating rink. All of the Bentley children were athletes, and all six brothers played hockey. Bill Bentley believed that all six boys could have played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL), though responsibilities on the family farm resulted in the eldest four boys spending the majority of their careers playing senior hockey on the Canadian Prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
.
His father taught Bentley to play hockey on their farm, where the family patriarch believed the daily chores would give his children the strength to have strong shots. Bentley's father also taught him to use his speed to elude bigger and stronger opponents as he weighed only 155 pounds fully grown. He played two years in Rosetown, Saskatchewan
Rosetown, Saskatchewan
-History:On September 14, 1905, James and Anne Rose migrated from Lancashire, England to an area of Saskatchewan, Canada. They were the first settlers in the area now known as Rosetown. Later, in 1907, a group of people from the area, wanting a post office, made an application for one...
between 1935 and 1937 where he led the Saskatchewan Intermediate league in scoring as a 16-year-old. He moved onto the Drumheller Miners
Drumheller Miners
The Drumheller Miners were a senior ice hockey team based in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.Two incarnations of the team existed. The first was a member of the Alberta Senior Hockey League in the late 1930s. The Miners playing in the ASHL featured the five Bentley brothers, Doug, Max, Reg, Roy and...
of the Alberta Senior Hockey League
Alberta Senior Hockey League
The Alberta Senior Hockey League or ASHL was a senior level ice hockey league that operated between 1936 and 1941 in Alberta, Canada. In 1941 the league ceased operations due to World War II....
(ASHL) in 1937, leading that league in scoring while playing on a line with brothers Roy and Wyatt. The trio were joined in Drumheller by Doug
Doug Bentley
Douglas Wagner Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers as part of a senior and professional career that spanned nearly three decades...
and Reg
Reg Bentley
Reginald Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 11 games in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks as part of a 20-year senior and professional career...
for the 1938–39 season. The family operated a gas station in town when not playing hockey.
Chicago Black Hawks
While playing for Rosetown, Bentley attended a tryout camp for the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. Believing him too small to play in the NHL, the Bruins sent him home. He then traveled to Montreal for a tryout with the Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. The team advised him to see a doctor who stated he had a heart condition, and that if he did not quit hockey, he would be dead within a year. Bentley chose to continue playing, but developed into a hypochondriac following the diagnosis. He constantly complained of aches, pains and ailments, and carried so many drugs and medications he was known as a "walking drug store".
He played two years of senior hockey in Drumheller, and one more with the Saskatoon Quakers
Saskatoon Quakers
The Saskatoon Quakers were an ice hockey team that was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team existed from 1945 until 1959, and again from 1965-1971, playing in various senior and minor-professional leagues during that time. The Quakers represented Canada in 1934 World Ice Hockey...
in the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League
Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League was a senior amateur ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan on-and-off from 1938-1971.-Champions:*1938-39: Saskatoon Quakers*1939-40: Moose Jaw Millers*1940-41: Regina Rangers...
(SSHL) before playing his first professional games with the Providence Reds
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) in 1940–41
1940–41 AHL season
The 1940–41 AHL season was the fifth season of the American Hockey League, which had operated the previous four seasons as the "International-American Hockey League." Nine teams played 56 games each in the schedule.The Cleveland Barons won their second F. G...
. He caught the attention of the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, and while the team was impressed with his play, they wanted him to start with their American Hockey Association (AHA) affiliate in Kansas City. Bentley initially refused, and considered retiring. He was convinced to report by Kansas City's coach, Johnny Gottselig
Johnny Gottselig
John Gottselig was a professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League between 1928 and 1946. He was the second player born in the Russian Empire to play in the NHL, as well as the first European-born head coach in the league's...
, and played only five games before injuries in Chicago led the Black Hawks to request a call-up. Gottselig sent Bentley up, reuniting him with brother Doug who had joined Chicago in 1939. Max played his first NHL game on November 21, 1940, against the Bruins. He scored his first goal on December 1 against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
In his third NHL season, 1942–43
1942–43 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, Bentley scored 70 points to finish third in the league in scoring. He finished three points behind brother Doug, who won the scoring title. Max tied an NHL record by scoring four goals in one period of a 10–1 victory over the Rangers on January 28, 1943. He added three assists in the game, tying the league record at the time for points in one game with seven. He was called for only one penalty
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
during the season, and as a result was voted the winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"...
as the league's most sportsmanlike player.
World War II had decimated the rosters of all NHL teams, and with the Black Hawks searching for players, Max and Doug convinced the team to sign their brother Reg. The trio made history on January 1, 1943, when they became the first all-brother line the NHL had seen. Two nights later, Max and Doug assisted on Reg's first, and only, NHL goal, the only time in league history that a trio of family members recorded the goal and assists on a scoring play. While Max and Doug were established NHL stars, Reg played only 11 games in his NHL career.
Bentley's career was interrupted in 1943 when he joined the Canadian Infantry Corps
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
The Infantry Branch is the organisation to which all Canadian infantry regiments belong. This was originally named "Canadian Infantry Corps"....
. He was briefly stationed in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia, where he completed the 1942–43 season playing with the Victoria Navy team then spent the following two years stationed in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
where he played with the Calgary Currie Army team in the Canadian military leagues. He led the Alberta league in goals and points with 18 and 31 respectively in 1943–44.
Following the war, Bentley returned to the Black Hawks where he was reunited with his brother Doug and joined on a line by Bill Mosienko
Bill Mosienko
William Mosienko was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks. He is best noted for recording the fastest hat trick in NHL history...
. The trio, who were all small and exceptionally fast, were dubbed the "Pony Line" and emerged as one of the top scoring lines in the league. Max led the league in scoring with 61 points, and was awarded the Hart Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the league's most valuable player. He was the first Black Hawk to ever win the award.
Bentley again lead the league in scoring in 1946–47, recording 72 points in 60 games. He won the title on the final night of the season, finishing one point ahead of Montreal's Maurice Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
. In doing so, he became only the third player in NHL history to win consecutive scoring titles after Charlie Conacher
Charlie Conacher
Charles William "The Big Bomber" Conacher, Sr. was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans in the National Hockey League. An early power forward, Conacher was nicknamed "The Big Bomber," for his size, powerful...
and Sweeney Schriner
Sweeney Schriner
David "Sweeney" Schriner was a Russian-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Americans and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1935 and was the NHL scoring leader in 1935–36 and 1936–37...
, both of whom accomplished the feat in the 1930s. He then played in the 1st National Hockey League All-Star Game
1st National Hockey League All-Star Game
The First National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at Maple Leaf Gardens, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, on October 13, 1947. The game saw the Maple Leafs play a team of NHL all-stars. The All-Stars won the game 4–3.-Founding:...
on October 13, 1947, for the NHL All-Stars, a 4–3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Three weeks later and six games into the season, the Maple Leafs completed a deal to acquire Bentley. He was sent to Toronto with Cy ThomasCy Thomas
Cyril James Thomas was a professional ice hockey player who played 14 games in the National Hockey League. Born in Dowlais, Wales, he played with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks.-References:...
in exchange for Gus Bodnar
Gus Bodnar
August Bodnar was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Black Hawks and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
, Bud Poile
Bud Poile
Norman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
, Gaye Stewart
Gaye Stewart
James Gaye Stewart was a professional ice hockey forward. He played nine seasons as a right winger in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Ernie Dickens
Ernie Dickens
Ernest Leslie Dickens was a National Hockey League defenceman.-Awards and achievements:*Stanley Cup Championship *AHL First All-Star Team...
and Bob Goldham
Bob Goldham
Robert John "Golden Boy" Goldham is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He played two seasons for the Toronto Marlboros earning the name "Golden Boy"...
, on November 2, 1947. The trade sent shockwaves throughout the league. The five players sent to Chicago essentially formed an entire starting unit; NHL President Clarence Campbell
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell OBE, QC was the third president of the National Hockey League from 1946 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
stated he was "astounded" by the deal, and stated it ranked with the Maple Leafs' purchase of King Clancy
King Clancy
Francis Michael "King" Clancy was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, referee, coach and executive. Clancy played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a member of three Stanley Cup championship teams and won All-Star honours...
in 1930 as one of the most significant transactions in league history. The trade was still being discussed weeks later as observers throughout the league attempted to assess which team received the better deal. Bentley was initially disappointed to leave his brother in Chicago, but quickly adapted to Toronto where he was immediately popular.
With the Leafs, Bentley challenged for his third consecutive scoring title. He eventually finished fifth with 54 points, seven behind Elmer Lach
Elmer Lach
Elmer James Lach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial...
's league-leading 61. The Leafs finished in first place in the regular season standings, then went on to win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in a four-game sweep over the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the 1948 Stanley Cup Final. Bentley was overjoyed, stating: "I waited a long time for this. A Stanley Cup championship at last!"
Bentley and the Leafs struggled in the 1948–49 regular season. He fell to 41 points on the year – 31 less than his total of two seasons previous – while the Leafs finished fourth out of six teams. The team recovered in the playoffs, eliminating the Red Wings in four consecutive games for the second year in a row to win the team's third consecutive Stanley Cup. Bentley scored the third goal in a 3–1 win in the deciding contest.
The Leafs' championship streak came to an end in 1949–50 but Bentley showed a modest improvement offensively, leading the team with 23 goals. He contemplated retiring and returning to Saskatchewan, but chose to return to Toronto for the 1950–51 season. He finished the season with significantly improved scoring totals, finishing third in the league with 62 points, behind Maurice Richard's 66, and Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
's league-record 86. The Leafs faced the Canadiens in the 1951 Stanley Cup Final, which was won by Toronto in five games. Bentley finished with 13 points in the playoffs, tying him with Richard for the league lead.
After finishing the 1951–52 season with 41 points, Bentley contemplated his future in hockey. He mused about an opportunity to coach the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
(WHL) and stated a desire to play again with his brother Doug, but ultimately returned to Toronto. He only played in 36 games in 1952–53 after suffering a back injury, but reached 500 career points on November 5, 1952, with two goals against the Rangers.
New York and Saskatoon
Following the season, the New York Rangers offered Max and Doug Bentley the opportunity to play together again. The Rangers acquired both players in cash transactions over the summer. Max finished the season with 32 points in 54 games, while Doug played only 20 games. Bentley's rights reverted back to the Maple Leafs in the fall of 1954 when he refused to report to the Rangers for the 1954–55 NHL season. From the Leafs, he demanded a C$20,000 contract, more than the team was willing to pay. He was initially placed on the suspended list by Toronto after he refused to report to training camp and attempted to purchase his release from the team. Bentley expressed a desire to leave the NHL and play for the WHL's Saskatoon QuakersSaskatoon Quakers
The Saskatoon Quakers were an ice hockey team that was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team existed from 1945 until 1959, and again from 1965-1971, playing in various senior and minor-professional leagues during that time. The Quakers represented Canada in 1934 World Ice Hockey...
, where Doug had become coach. The Maple Leafs ultimately supported Bentley's request. At the time he was granted his release, he was second amongst all active players with 245 goals, behind only Richard.
He joined the Quakers in November 1954 to great excitement in Saskatoon. Bentley finished the season with 41 points in 40 games. He began the 1955–56 season with Saskatoon, but retired on November 15, 1955, due to recurring back problems. He played his final game on that night, scoring his final goal in an 8–3 victory over the Winnipeg Warriors
Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)
The Winnipeg Warriors were a minor league hockey team that played in the Western Hockey League from 1955 to 1961. Owned by Winnipeg's prominent Perrin family, the Warriors represented the return of professional hockey to Winnipeg after a 27 year absence. In 1955, the Warriors Club was the first...
.
In 1956, Bentley joined his brother Doug in hockey management when the brothers launched a new Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences...
(SJHL) team in Saskatoon. He attempted to get into coaching, first offering his services to the WHL's Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks (WHL)
The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
in the winter of 1961, before going south to coach the Burbank Stars of the California Hockey league in 1962. His nephew Bev and son Lynn played with him in Burbank, while Doug was the player-coach of the rival Long Beach Gulls.
Playing style
Max Bentley was known for his speed, passing and puck handling skills. He learned his trade with his brothers as they constantly played street hockey in the summers and on the ice in the winters. Bentley's father flooded a sheet of ice that was the length of a regulation NHL hockey rink but much narrower, forcing the boys to develop the ability to maintain control of the puck while making fast, hard turns to reach the net. He was nicknamed the "Dipsy Doodle Dandy from Delisle" in reference to his ability to skate around opponents who often found that the only way to stop him was via rough play. Bentley was able to score from nearly any angle, an ability that confounded even his brother Doug. Long-time prairie hockey promoter Bill Hunter said Bentley was "a phenomenal hockey player, an absolute artist with the puck". Opponents occasionally attempted to use Bentley's hypochondria against him, making remarks on how he looked ill in a bid to distract him during the game.Bentley was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1966, two years after his brother Doug. One year later, Max and Doug were inducted together into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
ranked him 48th on its 1998 list of the top 100 players of all time.
Personal life
In addition to hockey, Bentley and his brothers played baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the summers. Representing their hometown of Delisle, they participated in regional tournaments and were repeat winners. Bentley played summer baseball throughout the 1950s, and was a member of the Saskatoon Gems of the Western Canada Senior League. He was also a long-time curler
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, often playing with his brothers, son and nephews.
The majority of Bentley's time away from the hockey rink was spent on the family farm outside Delisle. The Bentleys operated a large farm, raising cattle and growing wheat, and Max tended to return to the farm to recuperate during hockey seasons when he felt he needed to rest up. He and his wife Betty had a son, Lynn, who was also a hockey player. Bentley died at his home in Saskatoon on January 19, 1984, at the age of 63.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1937–38 | Drumheller Miners Drumheller Miners The Drumheller Miners were a senior ice hockey team based in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.Two incarnations of the team existed. The first was a member of the Alberta Senior Hockey League in the late 1930s. The Miners playing in the ASHL featured the five Bentley brothers, Doug, Max, Reg, Roy and... |
ASHL Alberta Senior Hockey League The Alberta Senior Hockey League or ASHL was a senior level ice hockey league that operated between 1936 and 1941 in Alberta, Canada. In 1941 the league ceased operations due to World War II.... |
26 | 28 | 15 | 43 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 1938–39 | Drumheller Miners | ASHL | 32 | 29 | 24 | 53 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1939–40 | Saskatoon Quakers Saskatoon Quakers The Saskatoon Quakers were an ice hockey team that was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team existed from 1945 until 1959, and again from 1965-1971, playing in various senior and minor-professional leagues during that time. The Quakers represented Canada in 1934 World Ice Hockey... |
SSHL | 31 | 37 | 14 | 51 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1940–41 1940–41 AHL season The 1940–41 AHL season was the fifth season of the American Hockey League, which had operated the previous four seasons as the "International-American Hockey League." Nine teams played 56 games each in the schedule.The Cleveland Barons won their second F. G... |
Providence Reds Providence Reds The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1940–41 | Kansas City Americans | AHA | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1940–41 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
36 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1941–42 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 38 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1942–43 1942–43 NHL season -NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:... |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 47 | 26 | 44 | 70 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1945–46 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 47 | 31 | 30 | 61 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1946–47 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 60 | 29 | 43 | 72 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 53 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1948–49 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 1949–50 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 69 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1950–51 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 67 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 1951–52 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 69 | 24 | 17 | 41 | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1952–53 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 36 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1953–54 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 57 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1954–55 | Saskatoon Quakers Saskatoon Quakers The Saskatoon Quakers were an ice hockey team that was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team existed from 1945 until 1959, and again from 1965-1971, playing in various senior and minor-professional leagues during that time. The Quakers represented Canada in 1934 World Ice Hockey... |
WHL Western Hockey League (minor pro) The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League... |
40 | 24 | 17 | 41 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1955–56 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 26 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Burbank Stars | CalHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 645 | 245 | 299 | 544 | 179 | 51 | 18 | 27 | 45 | 14 | ||||