For these NHL brothers, talent on the ice runs in the family.
The NHL has a long history of welcoming brothers into the professional league. Sometimes, brothers become rivals on competing teams, while others have shared the ice as teammates. There have even been brothers who have basked in the glory of a championship win together, hoisting the Stanley Cup up high.
Since the NHL was organized in 1917, many brothers have shared the ice. Read on to learn more about a few brothers who also were teammates.
Many brothers in the NHL have shared the ice as teammates. (Getty Images)
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- The Sutter brothers
- The Niedermayer brothers
- The Staal brothers
- The Richard brothers
- The Hughes brothers
1. The Sutter brothers
Starting off this list is the Sutter brothers.
There are actually seven brothers in the family, though only six played in the NHL: Brent, Brian, Ron, Duane, Rich and Darryl.
At one point or another, all six Sutter brothers played for either the Chicago Blackhawks or the St. Louis Blues.
Duane and Brent Sutter played together on the New York Islanders. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
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Among the brothers, six Stanley Cups were won as players, including in 1982 and 1983, when Duane and Brent worked together on the Islanders for championship wins.
Rich and Ron were also teammates for a time, spending three years together with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1980s and another three with the St. Louis Blues, coached by Brian.
2. The Niedermayer brothers
Scott and Rob Niedermayer both found success in the NHL, including together on the same team.
They played together for the Anaheim Ducks and won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Even though Scott and Rob grew up together, they have spoken about how the NHL actually brought them closer.
“I learned a few things about him I didn’t know,” Scott said in 2007, per The Hockey News. “I got to know him a little better.”
The Niedermayer brothers won the Stanley Cup together in 2007. (David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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“I see him in the dressing room. He’s a little more talkative and fun-loving than maybe I’ve seen him before. That’s one area that is a bit new to me,” he went on to say.
Before becoming teammates, they spent many years apart.
“In hockey season, ever since we were 15 or 16, we went our separate ways,” Rob said, per The Hockey News. “We’d see each other a bit in the summer, but that was about it.”
“This is a lot better. We see each more often. It’s worked out really well,” he continued.
3. The Staal brothers
There are four Staal brothers: Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared.
Multiple Sutter brothers have played for the Carolina Hurricanes.
In 2003, Eric was drafted by the Hurricanes, and won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2006. In 2013, Eric, Jordan and Jared all played for the team.
In 2016, Eric went on to play for the New York Rangers, where he joined his brother Marc. Eric and Marc also played together for the Florida Panthers.
Eric and Marc Staal played together for the Florida Panthers during the 2022–2023 season, while Jordan was on the Hurricanes. ( Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Jordan is the only brother still part of the NHL, and as of the 2024-2025 season, holds the title of captain for the Hurricanes.
4. The Richard brothers
The Richard brothers spent several years together as teammates.
Maurie, nicknamed “Rocket,” played his whole career with the Montreal Canadiens, from 1942 to 1960.
Henri, the younger brother, nicknamed “Pocket Rocket,” joined the Canadiens in 1955 with his brother. Henri won 11 Stanley Cups during his career, the most of any player, according to NHL Records. He retired from the league after the 1974-75 season.
The Richard brothers were both on the Montreal Canadiens. (Getty Images)
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5. The Hughes brothers
The Hughes brothers have taken the NHL by storm.
All three of the brothers were early picks in various NHL drafts.
Luke was the latest of the trio to join the NHL, as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft by the New Jersey Devils.
In 2018, the oldest Hughes brother, Quinn, was chosen by the Vancouver Canucks as the seventh overall pick. Jack was the first overall NHL draft pick in 2019, by the Devils.
All three of the Hughes brothers were drafted into the NHL as early picks. (Derek Cain/Getty Images)
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Luke and Jack both play for the Devils, while Quinn remains part of the Canucks.
At the end of 2023, the three brothers all shared the ice for the first time.
“Of course you dream you’re going to play with your brothers in the NHL one day,” Jack said ahead of the game, per the New Jersey Devils’ website. “You’re in the basement, hanging out, playing, but you never really think it’s going to become a reality. For it to happen, it’s definitely pretty wild. It’s three kids in one game.”
The family became the ninth to have at least three brothers play the same game, according to the source. The last to do so prior to the Hughes brothers were the Staal brothers in April of the same year.
“I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen when we were kids, but it’s really cool,” Luke said. “That’s the dedication shown by our parents… how hard they worked and how hard the three of us worked too. It’s going to be fun.”
“Of course, it’s the dream,” Quinn said of the game. “We probably talked about it as kids playing mini-sticks and stuff but as far as this year, they’re going to want two points, I’m going to want two points, and everyone’s worried about their individual game.”
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The Hughes brothers also made history as the first set of siblings to be on an EA Sports cover in 2024.
“We feel incredibly honored to be on the cover of NHL 25,” said Quinn, per NHL.com. “Being featured alongside my brothers is the sort of thing you dream about as a kid but could never imagine happening in real life.”
