Patrick vs. Patrick in the NHL

Although they squared off against each other many times in the PCHA as players and coaches, Lester and Frank Patrick became the first brothers to coach against one another in the NHL on Dec. 16, 1934 when Frank’s Boston Bruins hosted Lester’s New York Rangers.

For Frank’s son Joe, it was his “most vivid impression of that first winter in Boston.” As Eric Whitehead quoted Joe in The Patricks: Hockey’s Royal Family:

I was simply overcome by the fact that here were the famous Rangers with my Uncle Lester in charge and my cousin Lynn, one of the players, in town to play against my father's Bruins. I forget who won the game, and it doesn't matter. Afterward, we all went back to the house for a late dinner and a family reunion.

New York won 2-1. The rest of the 1934-35 season series went like this:

Dec. 18: Boston 5, New York 3

Dec. 30: Boston 0, New York 0

Jan. 1: Boston 5, New York 2

Feb. 24: Boston 0, New York 0

March 5: Boston 3, New York 1

So Boston won with a record of 3-1-2, including two scoreless ties. Boston topped the American division that year, while New York finished third. Both teams were eliminated in the semifinals, Boston by Toronto and New York by the Montreal Maroons.

Results of the 1935-36 Lester vs. Frank series were as follows:

Nov. 24: New York 1, Boston 0

Dec. 1: Boston 2, New York 0

Dec. 22: New York 3, Boston 1

Dec. 25: New York 3, Boston 2

Jan. 12: Boston 6, New York 3

Feb. 19: New York 2, Boston 0

Feb. 23: New York 4, Boston 3

March 22: New York 3, Boston 1

New York won the season 6-2-0. Boston finished second in the American division but was eliminated by Toronto in the quarter finals. The Rangers finished fourth and missed the playoffs.

Frank did not return to the Bruins after that season, so overall Lester won the series between the two brothers with a record 7-5-2, although Boston outscored New York 29-27.

The next pair of brothers to coach against each other in the NHL? Why, Lester’s sons Lynn and Muzz, coaching Boston and New York, respectively! Lynn coached 443 regular season games in the NHL and Muzz coached 136, but their overlap was limited to a little less than one calendar year, between Jan. 13, 1954 (the first game after Muzz took over in New York from Frank Boucher) and Dec. 4, 1954 (the last game Lynn coached for Boston before being fired).

Their first head-to-head match-ups came in three consecutive games. These are the results of the 1953-54 Muzz vs. Lynn season series (which all took place in 1954).

Jan. 20: New York 8, Boston 3

Jan. 23: New York 4, Boston 3

Jan. 24: Boston 2, New York 1

Feb. 13: Boston 1, New York 0

Feb. 17: New York 2, Boston 1

Feb. 24: Boston 5, New York 3

March 11: Boston 1, New York 0

Boston won the season series 4-3-0, including two shutouts, although New York outscored Boston 18-16. Overall Muzz went 15-11-4 with the Rangers, guiding them to a fifth place finish. They missed the playoffs. Lynn was 32-28-10 with the Bruins. Montreal swept them in four games in their playoff semi-final.

Here are the results of the 1954-55 season series (which all took place in 1954 as well):

Oct. 14: Boston 5, New York 3

Oct. 20: New York 6, Boston 2

Nov. 17: New York 2, Boston 2

Nov. 24: New York 3, Boston 1

Nov. 25: New York 2, Boston 2

Dec. 4: Boston 6, New York 3

The season series was a tie at 2-2-2, although New York outscored Boston 19-18. Overall Muzz and his Rangers went 17-35-18 that season, once again finishing fifth and out of the playoffs. Lynn and his Bruins were 10-14-6 and fourth overall when he was replaced by Milt Schmidt.

In the 1954 battle of Patrick brothers, spread over parts of two seasons, Lynn and his Bruins edged out Muzz and his Rangers with a record of 6-5-2, but the Rangers outscored the Bruins 37-34.

Three others sets of brothers have since coached against each other in the NHL: Johnny and Larry Wilson, Terry and Bryan Murray, and Brian, Darryl, Duane, and Brent Sutter.

Muzz, Frank, Lester, and Lynn Patrick are seen circa 1934-35 on the New York Rangers bench. (Leslie Jones/Boston Public Library)

Updated on Jan. 13, 2025 to add the results of the Lynn vs. Muzz series.