Max Bentley

Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley (March 1, 1920 – January 18, 1984) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player 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 the NHL's leading scorer twice in a row, and in 1946 won the Hart Trophy as the 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.

Early life Bentley was born March 1, 1920, in Delisle, 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. 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. 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. 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 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.

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. 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 led 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.

Toronto Maple Leafs "It is the biggest deal in NHL hockey in a long, long time and only goes to emphasize the worth of such a player as Bentley and puts him on a very high plane." — NHL President Clarence Campbell's assessment of the trade that sent Bentley to Toronto. 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. 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!"

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. 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, He only played in 36 games in 1952–53 after suffering a back injury,

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. 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 Quakers, where Doug had become coach. The Maple Leafs ultimately supported Bentley's request. Bentley finished the season with 41 points in 40 games.

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.

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. 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. The Hockey News ranked him 48th on its 1998 list of the top 100 players of all time. 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, He and his wife Betty had a son, Lynn, who was also a hockey player and a younger son, Gary. Bentley died at his home in Saskatoon on January 18, 1984, at the age of 63.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs