NHL Brother Teammates

SI Staff | Jan 25, 2011

NHL Brother Teammates /

NHL Brother Teammates

Daniel and Henrik Sedin

Drafted one after the other (Daniel second overall; Henrik third) by Vancouver in 1999, the inseparable Swedish identical twins skate on the same line with uncanny chemistry. Ace playmaker Henrik (33) led the NHL with a career-high 112 points in 2009-10, and the All-Star duo ranks among the league's top scorers of 2010-11. Here are 15 more of the NHL's most notable brother teammate combinations.

Henri and Maurice Richard

Hockey's greatest brother duo teamed up to help the Habs win a record five consecutive Stanley Cups. Maurice, otherwise known as "Rocket", was renowned for his wild-eyed intensity and prolific goal-scoring. The smaller Henri (hence his nickname "Pocket Rocket") was a slick playmaker and considered the more complete player. After Rocket's retirement in 1960, Henri went on to win another six Cups, for a record total of 11.

Duane and Brent Sutter

Two of six Sutters to play in the NHL, Duane (who was nicknamed "Dog" for his yapping) and younger brother Brent ("Pup") were both first-round picks, hard-nosed workers and key contributors to the Isles' four Stanley Cup championship teams. Brent, who spent 17 seasons in the NHL, led Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron in career goals, with 303. (A seventh brother, Gary, is said to have been the most talented, but he opted not to pursue a hockey career.)

Rich and Ron Sutter

The Sutter twins were the clan's youngest NHLers. Drafted in 1982 (Ron fourth overall by the Flyers; Rich tenth by the Penguins), they spent three seasons together in Philadelphia -- plenty of time to have some memorable showdowns with their Patrick Division sibling rivals Brent and Duane. Ron later became the Flyers' captain, and was reunited with Rich on the St. Blues from 1991-93.

Peter, Marian and Anton Stastny

Spirited out of Communist Czechoslovakia with clandestine help from the Nordiques, the three defectors formed the NHL's first all-brother line since 1943, producing an average total of 99 goals and 257 points per season during their four years together in Quebec. Middle brother Peter became the first NHL rookie to score 100 points in a season (the first of his seven 100-point campaigns for the Nordiques) and later earned Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Max and Doug Bentley

When Max, an electrifying skater and stickhandler, won his first scoring title in 1946, he and older brother Doug became the first siblings to lead the NHL in points. Doug had done so in 1943, during a season in which older sibling Reg put in an 11-game appearance that was just long enough for the Bentleys to form the NHL's first all-brother line. Usually, Max and Doug skated with winger Bill Mosienko on Chicago's famed Pony Line.

Marty and Mark Howe

The versatile sons of the great Gordie Howe famously played with their pop in the WHA (Houston 1973-77; New England '77-'79) and NHL after the Whalers joined the league. Both played forward and defense, but Marty's career was cut short by injuries. Younger brother Mark went on to become an All-Star defenseman with the Flyers for 10 seasons before concluding his career with dad's old team, the Red Wings.

Pete and Frank Mahovlich

Reunited after parts of two seasons in Detroit (1967-69), the Mahovlich brothers were major contributors to two of Montreal's Stanley Cup championship teams. Frank, a power forward nicknamed "The Big M", was the bigger star (and a Hall of Famer) who'd won four Cups in Toronto, but he was physically smaller than Pete, who was inspired by his older brother's arrival to score a then-career best 35 goals en route to the 1971 Cup.

Dennis and Bobby Hull

Though Bobby, the "Golden Jet", was more famous and a Hall of Famer, Dennis was no slouch. He had a ferocious slap shot like his older brother and scored 30-plus goals four times during their eight seasons together in Chicago, including his career high of 40 in 1970-71 when they helped power the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to Montreal and the Mahovlich brothers.

Rob and Scott Niedermayer

Both Niedermayers were first-round draft picks: Scott by the Devils in 1991; Rob by the Panthers in '93. Older brother Scott went on to become one of the NHL's swiftest and finest offensive defensemen, winning the 2003-04 Norris Trophy. He enjoyed a reunion with Rob, a grinding forward, on the Ducks in 2005 and the two celebrated winning the Stanley Cup together two years later. (Scott was MVP of those playoffs.)

Derian and Kevin Hatcher

Big, bruising blueliners, the Hatchers were first-round picks (older brother Kevin by the Capitals in '84; Derian by the North Stars in '90) who each spent 16 seasons in the NHL and ended up in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2010. Kevin's trade to the Dallas Stars in January 1995 united the pair for the better part of two seasons.

Neal and Aaron Broten

A member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic miracle team, Neal became one of the greatest American-born NHL players of all time. Drafted in the third round by the North Stars in 1979, he was the first American to score 100 points in an NHL season (1985-86). In 1990, he was reunited with younger brother Aaron with whom he'd played on the same line at the University of Minnesota. Neal also played with younger brother, Paul (inset), for two seasons on the Dallas Stars (1993-95).

Odie and Sprague Cleghorn

Hall of Fame defenseman Sprague was infamous for being meaner than cat dirt, but his younger brother Odie, a skilled winger, wasn't afraid to use his stick for more than moving and shooting the puck. In 1924, the Cleghorns helped win the Canadiens' first Stanley Cup as a member of the National Hockey League, which had come into being in 1917.

Dave and Don Maloney

Broadway's greatest brother act was likely Bill and Bun Cook (1926-36), but the Maloneys weren't too shabby. Older brother Dave, a defenseman, was the Rangers' first round pick in 1974 and he became their power play quarterback as well as captain of their 1979 Stanley Cup Finals team. Don, a forward and second-round pick in '78, joined him in time for the run to the final and skated on the Mafia Line (it had two Dons) with Don Murdoch and Phil Esposito, later becoming captain as well as the MVP of the 1984 All-Star Game.

Jean and Denis Potvin

Hall of Fame blueliner Denis was the first overall pick in the 1973 draft and is arguably the second greatest defenseman of all time (behind Bobby Orr). His older brother Jean may not have been comparable in talent, and while the defenseman did play for five different teams over 10 years in the NHL, his biggest seasons came playing alongside Denis in New York. Denis and Jean finished the 1975-76 season first and third, respectively, in scoring for the Islanders, with Hall of Fame center Bryan Trottier finishing second. Together, they won the Stanley Cup in 1980. In 1981, Jean played only 18 games for the Islanders, but his name was still engraved on the Cup, even though he did not qualify.

Dale and Mark Hunter

Their time together lasted all of seven games as Mark wrapped up his 12-year NHL career, but he and older brother Dale were two of the league's three Hunter brothers. (Older sibling Dave skated for the Oilers, Penguins and Jets from 1978-81). Though Dale wasn't a first-round pick like his brothers, he became the most notorious, finishing his 19-year career as the first player in NHL history to accumulate 300 goals, 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes.

Published Jan 25, 2011

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