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The Rangers’ Family: 4 Sets of Brothers in Blueshirts
The New York Rangers have had many brothers that have played for them over the years. Here I’ll focus on those tandems that played together on the team for five or more years. The first of those was Bill and Bun Cook who started off with the Rangers in 1926 and the last of them was Don and Dave Maloney who ended their time together with the Rangers in 1985.
Bill and Bun Cook
Bill and Bun Cook played with the Rangers from 1926-36. They were two-thirds of the “Bread Line” centered by Frank Boucher. Together they won two Stanley Cups with the Rangers in 1928 and 1933.
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Bill Cook was known as “The Original Ranger”. He was the very first captain of the Rangers, scored the first goal and lifted the first Stanely Cup in franchise history. He also led the league in goals three times. Bill scored 228 goals and 366 points in 475 games during his NHL career.
Bill became the first Ranger to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Some have put him in a category with Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe. The Bread Line was a dominant force in the NHL for several years and Bill was often considered the league’s top sniper. He played all of his 11 seasons in the NHL with the Rangers.
Bun Cook was more of a playmaker than his brother. Bun tallied 158 goals, 146 assists and 304 points during his 477 game NHL career. He played 10 of his 11 seasons in a Rangers uniform. Bun was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the AHL Hall of Fame. One of the select few to be inducted into both. Bun started coaching in 1937 and is the winningest coach in AHL history.
The Colville Brothers
Mac and Neil Colville played together with the Rangers from 1935-42 and 1945-57. They helped the Rangers win the Stanely Cup in 1940.
Mac finished his 9 year NHL career with 173 points in 353 games, all with the Rangers. He was rated the 55th best Ranger of all time, according to the book 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters written by Russ Cohen, John Halligan and Adam Raider.
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Neil Colville played his entire 11 year NHL career with the Rangers. He amassed 266 points in 465 games. Neil served as Rangers’ captain from 1945-49. In 1949 Neil retired and became the youngest Rangers coach before the 1950-51 season. Neil is number 22 in the 100 Ranger Greats book and was inducted into the Hall Hockey of Fame in 1967.
When the Colville brothers returned from their two-year hiatus from the Rangers they moved from forward to defense. They were the first pair of brothers ever to do so in the NHL.
Lynn and Muzz Patrick
Lynn and Muzz Patrick are part of one of hockey’s most decorated families. They played for the Rangers from 1937-46. They were part of NHL history along with the Colvilles when they played in a game with four sets of brothers. On Dec. 1, 1941, the Patricks and Colvilles faced the Bentleys and Carses of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Rangers won the contest 4-1.
Lynn Patrick was a big powerful center who played all of his 10 NHL seasons with the Blueshirts. He tallied 145 goals and 191 assists for 336 points. Lynn, a two-time NHL All-Star was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980 and was named as a Lester Patrick Trophy winner in 1989. The Lester Patrick Trophy recognizes players for their contributions to the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The trophy is named after Muzz and Lynn’s father.
Muzz Patrick only played five NHL seasons, all with the Rangers from 1937-41 and again in 1945-46. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman finished his career with 31 points and 130 penalty minutes in 161 games. Muzz missed four seasons because he served as a Captain in the U.S. Military. Muzz became a coach and then general manager of the Rangers after he retired.
These three brother tandems are all connected in some way. The Cooks played with the Colvilles in 1935-36 and the Colvilles played with the Patricks from 1937-42 and 1945-46.
The Maloneys
Don and Dave Maloney had long NHL careers and played together with the Rangers from 1978-85. Don played 14 NHL seasons and Dave 12.
Don Maloney had 564 points in 765 games. He is number 26 in the 100 Ranger Greats book and was a big fan favorite during his time with the Blueshirts. Don was drafted 26th overall by the Rangers in 1978. After he retired he became the first-ever recipient of the General Manager of the Year Award in 2010.
Dave Maloney scored 317 points and racked up 1,154 PIMs in 657 games throughout his NHL career. Dave was drafted 14th overall by the Rangers in 1974 and is currently the Rangers’ radio color commentator. Dave became the youngest ever Rangers captain and led them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1979. Dave, along with Phil Esposito and others recorded the song Hockey Sock Rock to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Research.
The Rangers are an iconic franchise and have had bloodlines tied to the organization since the beginning. These sets of brothers all contributed in one way or another to the storied history of what it is to be a New York Ranger.
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