Reg Bentley
Encyclopedia
Reginald Bentley was a Canadian
ice hockey
player who played 11 games in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks
as part of a 20-year senior and professional career. During his time with Chicago, he played on a line with his brothers Doug
and Max
, the first time in NHL history that three siblings played on one line.
, Saskatchewan. He was one of six boys, and thirteen children overall. His father Bill was a speed skating
champion in North Dakota
before settling in Delisle, where 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.
for two years of intermediate hockey, and then to Saskatoon
and Moose Jaw
for two seasons each in the North- and South-Saskatchewan Senior Hockey Leagues respectively. He moved across the border to Alberta in 1938–39, joining his brothers Doug
, Max
, Wyatt and Roy in playing with the Drumheller Miners
of the Alberta Senior Hockey League
(ASHL).
World War II
had decimated the rosters of all NHL teams, and with the Black Hawks searching for players, Max and Doug Bentley convinced the team to sign Reg. Bentley played his first professional season in 1941–42 for Chicago's American Hockey Association
(AHA) affiliate, the Kansas City Americans. Reg joined the Black Hawks midway through the 1942–43 season
, and 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. It was 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 left professional hockey following that season to join the Canadian military for the balance of the war. He was stationed in Victoria
and Calgary
, where he played for Navy and Army teams. In 1945, he returned to professional hockey, joining the New Westminster Royals
of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
(PCHL) for two seasons. He set personal bests in 1946–47 with 41 goals and 71 points for the Royals. He returned to senior hockey in 1947, joining the Saskatoon Quakers
of the Western Canada Senior Hockey League
(WCSHL) for four seasons. He was loaned by the Quakers to the Spokane Flyers
of the Western International Hockey League
(WIHL) for their 1949 playoff final as an injury replacement. He joined his brother Wyatt ("Scoop") with the Flyers, Bentley scored four goals in the series, including the insurance marker in a 2–0 victory over the Kimberley Dynamiters
to help the Flyers win the best-of-five championship in four games.
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...
player who played 11 games 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) 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...
as part of a 20-year senior and professional career. During his time with Chicago, he played on a line with his brothers 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 Max
Max Bentley
Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley 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 as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years...
, the first time in NHL history that three siblings played on one line.
Personal life
Bentley was born May 3, 1914, in DelisleDelisle, Saskatchewan
-References:...
, Saskatchewan. He was one of six boys, and thirteen children overall. His father Bill was 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, where 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.
Playing career
Bentley first played senior hockey in his hometown of Delisle for the Tigers hockey team in 1931–32 and 1932–33 before moving to nearby KerrobertKerrobert, Saskatchewan
Kerrobert is a town in west central Saskatchewan. Incorporated in 1910, its 2007 population was 1,011. This quaint small town is home of the Kerrobert Tigers. The town is known for its large water tower, clearly visible from 15 kilometres away....
for two years of intermediate hockey, and then to Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
for two seasons each in the North- and South-Saskatchewan Senior Hockey Leagues respectively. He moved across the border to Alberta in 1938–39, joining his brothers 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...
, Max
Max Bentley
Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley 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 as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years...
, Wyatt and Roy in playing 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....
(ASHL).
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had decimated the rosters of all NHL teams, and with the Black Hawks searching for players, Max and Doug Bentley convinced the team to sign Reg. Bentley played his first professional season in 1941–42 for Chicago's American Hockey Association
American Hockey Association (1926–1942)
The American Hockey Association was a minor professional hockey league that operated between 1926 and 1942. It had previously operated as the Central Hockey League , and before that as part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The founding president was Alvin Warren, who also owned the St...
(AHA) affiliate, the Kansas City Americans. Reg joined the Black Hawks midway through the 1942–43 season
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:...
, and 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. It was 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 left professional hockey following that season to join the Canadian military for the balance of the war. He was 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...
and 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 for Navy and Army teams. In 1945, he returned to professional hockey, joining the New Westminster Royals
New Westminster Royals
The New Westminster Royals was the name of several professional and junior ice hockey teams based in New Westminster, British Columbia.The first team played from 1912-1914 in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association which was established in 1911....
of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
Pacific Coast Hockey League
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.-PCHL 1928-1931:...
(PCHL) for two seasons. He set personal bests in 1946–47 with 41 goals and 71 points for the Royals. He returned to senior hockey in 1947, joining 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...
of the Western Canada Senior Hockey League
Western Canada Senior Hockey League
The Western Canada Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that played six seasons in Alberta and Saskatchewan, from 1945 to 1951. It was founded as a four team league featuring teams in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon...
(WCSHL) for four seasons. He was loaned by the Quakers to the Spokane Flyers
Spokane Flyers
The Spokane Flyers were a junior ice hockey team that played one and a half seasons in the Western Hockey League from 1980–1982. They played in Spokane, Washington, United States.-History:...
of the Western International Hockey League
Western International Hockey League
The Western International Hockey League was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88...
(WIHL) for their 1949 playoff final as an injury replacement. He joined his brother Wyatt ("Scoop") with the Flyers, Bentley scored four goals in the series, including the insurance marker in a 2–0 victory over the Kimberley Dynamiters
Kimberley Dynamiters
The Kimberley Dynamiters are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay Conference of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League . They play their home games at Kimberley Civic Centre.The team was...
to help the Flyers win the best-of-five championship in four games.
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 | ||
| 1931–32 | Delisle Tigers | S-SSHL | 20 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1932–33 | Delisle Tigers | S-SSHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| 1935–36 | Saskatoon Standards | N-SSHL | 19 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1936–37 | Saskatoon Quakers | N-SSHL | 20 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1937–38 | Moose Jaw Millers | N-SSHL | 24 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 1938–39 | 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.... |
32 | 21 | 10 | 31 | 52 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 9 | ||
| 1939–40 | Drumheller Miners | ASHL | 32 | 23 | 8 | 31 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1940–41 | Saskatoon Quakers | SSHL | 30 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1941–42 | Kansas City Americans | AHA American Hockey Association (1926–1942) The American Hockey Association was a minor professional hockey league that operated between 1926 and 1942. It had previously operated as the Central Hockey League , and before that as part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The founding president was Alvin Warren, who also owned the St... |
50 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 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 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... |
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... |
11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1943–44 | Calgary Currie Army | CNDHL | 14 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1943–44 | Moose Jaw Victorias | SSHL | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1944–45 | Calgary Currie Army | CNDHL | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1945–46 | New Westminster Royals New Westminster Royals The New Westminster Royals was the name of several professional and junior ice hockey teams based in New Westminster, British Columbia.The first team played from 1912-1914 in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association which was established in 1911.... |
PCHL Pacific Coast Hockey League The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.-PCHL 1928-1931:... |
57 | 30 | 27 | 57 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1946–47 | New Westminster Royals | PCHL | 60 | 41 | 30 | 71 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1947–48 | 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... |
WCSHL Western Canada Senior Hockey League The Western Canada Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that played six seasons in Alberta and Saskatchewan, from 1945 to 1951. It was founded as a four team league featuring teams in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon... |
45 | 28 | 22 | 50 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Saskatoon Quakers | WCSHL | 48 | 22 | 18 | 40 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Spokane Flyers Spokane Flyers (senior) The Spokane Flyers are a defunct senior ice hockey team from Spokane, Washington. They played in the Western International Hockey League from 1948-49 to the 1979-80.1949-50: National Senior Champions... |
WIHL Western International Hockey League The Western International Hockey League was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88... |
— | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1949–50 | Saskatoon Quakers | WCSHL | 50 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1950–51 | Saskatoon Quakers | WCSHL | 40 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1951–52 | Yorkton Legionnaires | SSHL | 30 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||