Top Brother-Sister Pairings on Hockey's Biggest Stages

From Jesse and J.T. Compher to Amanda and Phil Kessel, there are a handful of elite brother-sister pairings at hockey's top levels. And there are more on the way.

Sibling pairs have dotted NHL rosters for more than half a century. 

Henri and Maurice Richard may be the most successful sibling duo in NHL history, but names like Esposito, Sedin, Sutter, Mahovlich and Niedermayer have dotted the history books of professional men’s hockey.

With the launch of the new PWHL, North America’s new professional league for women, there’s an opportunity for brother-sister pairings to jump into the conversation of the best professional hockey siblings.

While they are both currently out of the game, Amanda and Phil Kessel are certainly hockey’s most decorated brother-sister pairing. Amanda Kessel is taking a year off playing to focus on her new role as a special assistant to the GM with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, but she was crucial in helping Team USA win World Championship gold in April. It was her fourth World gold, adding to a resumé that also includes Olympic gold, World and Olympic all-star honors, and three NCAA championships. Phil Kessel remains unsigned but won his third Stanley Cup last season with the Vegas Golden Knights and also has an Olympic medal, albeit a silver, and an Olympic all-star nod to his name.

The Kessels, however, aren’t the only prominent brother-sister pairing currently in the game. Here’s a look at some of the top brother-sister players in professional hockey, as well as those making their way to the biggest stage on the men’s and women’s sides of the game.

Jesse Compher was selected in the fifth round, 26th overall, by Toronto’s franchise in the 2023 PWHL draft. When she steps on the ice in 2024, she'll only be a few hours down the highway from her older brother J.T. Compher, who is signed to play with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. Once that happens, the duo could become the first brother-sister pair to play in the NHL and PWHL in the same season. 

Jesse Compher has represented Team USA multiple times, winning World Championship gold, and recently completed her final NCAA season by winning a national championship with Wisconsin. Her brother won his first Stanley Cup in 2022 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche and is entering his first season with the Red Wings after scoring 17 goals and 52 points in 82 games last season.

Jincy Dunne-Roese went in the third round, 17th overall, in the 2023 PWHL Draft to Ottawa. The Dunne family itself has five hockey-playing siblings, but it’s Jincy and her brother Josh who are at the pinnacle of the sport. 

Jincy’s represented USA’s senior national team at the Olympics and World Championships, and the steady blueliner joins PWHL Ottawa after playing two seasons in the PWHPA following her graduation from Ohio State. 

Her younger brother Josh played eight games last season with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and had his best offensive output to date with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he’ll again start the 2023-24 season. Perhaps the best player in the Dunne family, however, is the youngest, budding power forward Joy Dunne. She entered USA’s national summer festival this summer as the youngest member of the American development team, and she was a dominant offensive force.

Perhaps the most menacing brother-sister duo in professional hockey last season was Emilie and Thomas Harley. Emilie Harley, who stands six-foot, patrolled the blueline for the PHF’s Metropolitan Riveters while her 6-foot-3 brother Thomas, a 2019 first-round pick of the Dallas Stars, split his season between the NHL and AHL. Sadly, this duo may have played their final season as a pair, as Emilie Harley chose not to declare for the PWHL draft following the acquisition of her former league, the PHF.

Alex Carpenter is one of the most decorated women’s hockey players in the USA today. She’s won six World Championship gold and two silver, and a pair of Olympic silver medals. The talented forward served as an assistant captain for USA at the 2023 Worlds and scored nine points in seven games. PWHL New York likes what it sees in Carpenter and signed her in free agency. 

Her brother Robert played a handful of games last season for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. He’s signed to skate with them again in the fifth season of his professional hockey career split between the ECHL and AHL.

Had the PHF acquisition not occurred, North America would have had another professional brother-sister pairing in Amalie and Frederik Andersen. 

Amalie, a member of Denmark’s national team, was set to join the blueline of the PHF’s Buffalo Beauts, while her brother Frederik has been a longtime netminder at the NHL level and is a current member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Amalie Andersen will instead head to Europe this season to play in Sweden’s second division with Rogle BK.

If there’s a sure thing to join this conversation in the near future, it’s Abby and Alex Newhook. Abby Newhook is one of Canada’s top prospects for their national team program, recently completing her second standout season at Boston College in the NCAA. Her brother Alex is entering his third NHL season. After two strong campaigns with the Colorado Avalanche, who selected him 16th overall in 2019, he’ll join the Montreal Canadiens this season.

The list of top sibling pairs doesn’t end there. Prospects to reach the next level are abundant in the NCAA and minor leagues. Perhaps the most prominent duo in the group is Jade and Tij Iginla, who are both considered top prospects in the sport. Other brother-sister groups to watch include Liliane, Jacob, and Gabriel Perreault, Avery and Owen Pickering, Dominique and Lukas Cormier, Abby and Brady Stonehouse, and Sydney and Scott Morrow.