Former Ice star Benson has fond memories of Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/11/2023 (670 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He was born in British Columbia and now calls Buffalo home. Winnipeg, however will always have a special spot in Zach Benson’s heart.

It should come as no surprise the 18-year-old had a huge smile on his face Friday as he prepared to play an NHL game in the place where his hockey career really took flight.

“Just everything about this city, it’s awesome,” Benson said, just hours before his visiting Sabres met the Jets. “The way they get around their hockey teams, their sports teams, is pretty special.”

Special is a word being used to describe Benson. The 13th-overall draft pick last summer has exceeded expectations, making the big club after a terrific training camp and looking entirely comfortable despite a lack of experience and size (5-9, 163 lbs.).

“You dream about playing in this league from a young age,” said Benson, who spent the previous three years lighting it up with the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League including a team-high 98 points in 60 games last season.

“When you get drafted, I think a lot of people think you go to development camp, get some experience. But I’ve always kind of had it in my head that I’m going there to try and make a case and try to stick around as long as I could.”

So far, so good. Benson played six games to start the regular season, recording two assists, before a lower-body ailment sidelined him the last couple weeks. In a great case of timing, he was taken off the injured list Friday.

“Just everything about this city, it’s awesome … The way they get around their hockey teams, their sports teams, is pretty special.”–Zach Benson

“I was talking with my (Ice) billets about how it kind of worked out. It was nice to see them (Thursday), and to see some familiar faces around this area,” said Benson. “My main focus was just getting healthy again, getting back to 100 per cent. You definitely have this date circled on your calendar.”

Benson’s final two games in Winnipeg were at the downtown rink last spring, as the Ice faced Seattle in the WHL championship, eventually won by the Thunderbirds.

His parents flew in for Friday’s NHL game and were joined by numerous friends, including billets Carmelle and Travis de Koning and their two children, Dane and Ashton.

A decision is looming with regard to Benson. If he plays more than nine games, the first year of his entry-level contract will be burned. It’s possible the Sabres could still return him to junior, as they recently did with 2022 first-rounder Matthew Savoie following one NHL game. The Wenatchee Wild hold the WHL rights of both players.

“So many things are impressive about Zach. Probably consistency stands out to the forefront,” his coach, Don Granato, said Friday.

“He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t smart defensively. He just wouldn’t. Most of the time, you send players back and send them home because they have to learn the fine aspects of positional play, and he is highly intelligent when it comes to positional play. He forces a lot of mistakes for the other team.”

Benson isn’t spending much time thinking about how the rest of this season will unfold, which could potentially include the world junior championship next month if he doesn’t stick with the Sabres.

“I think the second you start worrying about that, you’re not putting in 100 per cent,” he said. “For me it’s taking it day by day. Every game I’m going to try to play my hardest, play my best, and kind of keep that out of my head.”

AROUND THE GLASS:

Friday also marked the return of long-time Manitoba Moose/Jets goaltender Eric Comrie, who was also activated from the injured list and faced his former job-share partner, Connor Hellebuyck.

“I had a pretty good feeling he was going to sign here. He loves it here,” Comrie said of Hellebuyck’s seven-year contract extension.

“That’s where his heart is. I know there were reports and speculation but, at the end of the day, this is where he wanted to be. He wants to win a championship here. I’m really happy to see both him and (Mark) Scheifele get long-term contracts. They’ve got KC (Kyle Connor) locked up, J-Mo (Josh Morrissey) locked up, Helle, Scheifele — that’s a heck of a core. You can’t ask for much better than that.”

Comrie, 28, caught up with several old friends prior to the game, including a dinner on Thursday night with Scheifele, Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. He’s also keeping a close eye on his phone as wife, Hayley, is pregnant with their first child and has a due date of Saturday back in Buffalo.

“I’m not sure if I’ll finish this road trip,” Comrie said, with stops in Chicago and Washington still to come.

---

Speaking of Hellebuyck, he got to meet his shadow this week.

A young goaltender named Cruz, who was at the Hockey For All Centre for his own game in September, was caught on camera standing behind the glass and mimicking Hellebuyck’s moves following Winnipeg’s training camp workout. The boy, along with his parents, were guests of the Jets at Thursday’s practice.

“Are you the one who’s been copying me?” Hellebuyck said as he came off the ice. “You been taking notes?”

He talked shop with Cruz, autographed his blocker and gave him a dressing room tour. Backup goalie Laurent Brossoit approached, asked the boy if Hellebuyck was his favourite goalie, then added “Yeah, he’s mine too!”

---

Things are not going so well for a pair of former Jets stars.

In Columbus, Patrik Laine was benched by coach Pascal Vincent for much of the third period in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes. He had company, too, as Johnny Gaudreau joined him. That’s US$18.45 million worth of annual salary riding the pine.

Laine has just two goals and an assist in eight games this year and recently returned from a concussion, while Gaudreau has one (empty-net) goal and five assists in 17 games for the Blue Jackets, who have lost seven consecutive games.

In Los Angeles, Pierre-Luc Dubois is already coming under criticism from local media and even his coach, Todd McLellan, for a less-than-inspired start to his year (eight points in 15 games), and now he’s dealing with a lower-body injury suffered earlier this week.

Here in Winnipeg, the return for Dubois (who was the return for Laine) includes winger Alex Iafallo (13 points in his first 15 games) and forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari, who are now both on the injured list.

No question this particular “trade tree” will be studied intensely for years.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X: @WiebesWorld