Apr 22, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) leaves the ice in game five against the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. The Wild defeat the Stars 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) celebrates a goal against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) during the second period at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
The Dallas Stars made a monumental move this past week by signing their captain to an eight-year contract extension. What are eight of his greatest moments with the Stars?
It’s been quite a seven-day period for Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn. On Thursday, he underwent surgery to repair a “slight muscle pull” in his stomach. On Friday, Stars general manager Jim Nill announced that Benn had signed an eight-year, $76 million extension to remain with Dallas through the 2024-25 season.
And yesterday he capped it all of by turning 27 years old. In other words, it was a busy week for the captain.
But we just can’t get over his new contract. I mean, it’s kind of a monumental deal. Jamie Benn, a top five player in the NHL and arguably the best captain around, will be a member of the Dallas Stars until he is 36 years old. In other words, he’ll more than likely be a Star for life.
The fact that Benn just happened to fall in the Stars’ lap in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL entry draft seems absolutely uncanny now. Benn has hit higher than a point-per-game average the past two seasons and is almost on the same pace throughout his career. He’s a diverse forward that can effectively play even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.
The captain will do anything for his team, including playing all 82 games in a season where he suffered with extensive hip problems. This season turned out to be the year he won the Art Ross Trophy by leading the league with 87 points. He continues to surprise the NHL at an alarming rate, and will be a cornerstone feature in the Dallas offense for years to come. Not bad for a fifth rounder, huh?
So what are the Dallas Stars looking at over the next eight years? Well, that’s the fun part. The opportunities are endless, though it would be nice to see a Stanley Cup or two (or eight?) in there somewhere.
We thought it would be fun to take a look back on Benn’s NHL career and find some of his best moments. Why not take a walk down memory lane and indulge ourselves in the reminiscing? We’ve got eight years ahead of us. Let’s look at eight of his greatest moments as a Star up until now. Enjoy!
Next: Honorable Mention: Benn The Wrecking Ball
The Wrecking Benn:
The Dallas Stars have an electric offense. Ever since Tyler Seguin joined the club and hopped on the top line with Jamie Benn, things have risen to an insane pace on the offensive side of the puck.
Last season, the Stars claimed the title of highest scoring team in the NHL. They averaged 3.23 goals per game, 0.21 goals more than the second highest team. They were a scoring machine, one that many clubs had trouble keeping under three goals a game.
This clip did not make the top eight (maybe because current Star Johnny Oduya is one of the defenders taking a crushing blow from Benn), but it definitely deserved to be recognized.
This comes from Opening Night 2014 when the Stars fell just short against the mighty Chicago Blackhawks in the shootout. Benn delivers two brutal checks to both Oduya and Brandon Saad, sending the crowd into an uproar.
Some other honorable mentions could include the Bobby Orr goal and the “poop through a diarrhea-infected goose” goal. There are just too many to count, and that’s a good thing. It means the captain always knows how to make himself known! Take a look at the top eight by scrolling through the remainder of this slideshow!
Next: 8. Benn Delivers OT Winner In Wake Of Peverley Scare
8. Benn Notches Overtime Win 24 Hours After Tragedy
If you did not get a chance to catch “Playing For Pevs” on Fox Sports Southwest this January, you might want to try finding it somewhere online. It’s quite the show.
If for some reason you have never heard of the events that forever changed the Dallas Stars organization on March 10, 2014, let me catch you up to speed. Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench in the middle of a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets due to a brief stoppage of his heart.
The game was postponed after a long delay, and Peverley peacefully recovered in the hospital. Meanwhile, the rest of the Stars team hopped on a plane for St. Louis after witnessing a player literally die for a brief moment in the middle of a game. Some players could not even make the trip because they were in such a compromised state of mind.
So how could you expect a team in this state to compete 24 hours later and have a chance at beating the best team in the Central Division? Well, I guess you don’t know how the Stars work.
Led by a strong effort from their goaltender and captain, the Stars somehow hit the ice, sleep deprived and all, and fended the Blues off in a thrilling overtime victory. The game-winning goal was scored by none other than the determined and passionate captain himself.
Jamie Benn’s goal further proved his readiness to be captain (he was currently serving his first season with the C) and his preparedness to do anything his team needed of him. It was a bright burst of light for a team stuck in gloomy darkness.
Next: 7. Benn Knocks Regehr Right In The Sniffer
7. Benn Lets Regehr Smell His Knuckles
On December 23, 2014, the Dallas Stars were well on their way to sealing a victory against the Los Angeles Kings just before the Christmas break when a fight broke out.
Stars captain Jamie Benn, who had been wearing the C for no more than three months at the point, got into a scuffle with 6-3, 222 lb.D Robyn Regehr in front of the net.
What would happen next has popped up in perhaps just about every Dallas Stars hype video since the fight way back in 2014. In the middle of the fight, Benn would switch his grip hand quickly and effectively enough to deliver a right hand right between Regehr’s eyes. In the video, fast forward to about 1:38 to watch the glorious swing in slow motion. The cap is a fighter, that’s for sure.
Next: 6. Jamie Benn Blows The Roof Off The AAC During Playoff Season
6. Benn Uses His Slick Hands In An Intense Playoff Game
The 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs were an exciting time for the Dallas Stars. It had been two years since the last playoff run, and this time around the team was threatening to make a serious run at the Cup.
The Stars wasted no time bolting out of the gate at lightning speed in the first round. They easily handled the Minnesota Wild twice at the AAC before going up to St. Paul and splitting the two-game series. They returned home with a 3-1 lead, eager to close the series out and move on.
Though Dallas would eventually fall in overtime in this wild (haha) game, Jamie Benn gave fans plenty of reason to believe. After falling behind 2-0 early in the game and narrowing it to 2-1 as the battle raged on, the Stars were staring at a one-goal deficit at the beginning of the third period.
That’s when Benn caught himself in front of the net with just enough breathing room. He found the puck on his stick after a nice keep-and-pass from John Klingberg, and displayed some of the silkiest mitts you’ll ever see. He did Devan Dubnyk dirty on his way to putting the puck in the back of the net, tying the game up and turning the AAC into a shouting fest.
Next: 5. Benn And Backes Don't Mix Well
5. The Battle Of The Captains
Some players just do not like each other in the NHL. Some captains really do not like each other in the NHL. Those captains are Jamie Benn and David Backes.
Back in December of the past season, the Stars were visiting the St. Louis Blues the two decided to get into it. After fighting for the puck, they quickly decided to just fight with their fists instead. It ended with Benn pulling Backes’ jersey over his head and wrestling him to the ice.
So what? They fought, it’s no big deal. Except when you figure out that this is not the first time these two have dropped the mitts. Back in December 2014, Benn fought it out with the Blues captain after Backes tried to rough up Cody Eakin. Benn stepped in to defend his teammate and gave Backes a few rough tugs before the referees separated them.
It was an excellent example of Jamie Benn’s determination to stand up for his teammates and his overall leadership. The captain of a club should always be ready to step in and support a fellow teammate, and Benn is always ready to drop the gloves if a fellow Star needs it.
Next: 4. Benn Breaking The Blue Jackets' Ankles
4. Jamie Benn Has No Mercy On The Blues Jackets
Does Benn just not like the Blue Jackets? Or are they simply just the weakest team, giving him the opportunity to make a mockery out of all six players on the ice at once?
Way back in the 2011-12 season, Benn did a number on Columbus as the one-man scoring machine he is. He weaved through five defenders on his way to the net, keeping control of the puck and scoring in a prolific fashion.
But this is not the only time he has dished out some ankle breakers on the Jackets.
This clip was from just two seasons back in one of the first games of the season. Benn somehow manages to evade several different poke checks and player obstructions on his way to a clean snipe.
Bottom line: if Jamie Benn is in Columbus early on in the season, he’s going to take puck possession to a whole new level once again.
Next: 3. Jamie Benn Notches His First Career Hat Trick
3. Benn Scores Three In Less Than 25 Minutes
At this point in time, you would probably call it ludicrous if someone told you that Jamie Benn did not tally his first NHL hat trick until February 2015 (considering he started his career in 2010). But that’s exactly how it happened.
Less than one week after Tyler Seguin took a cheap shot to the knees and hit the injured reserve, Benn was forced to carry the majority of the offensive weight. He did just that in St. Louis when he found the back of the net three times in the first 23:39 of the game. The Stars would go on to defeat the Blues, though wins were scarce without Seguin in the lineup.
Next: 2. The Big Bad Benn Takes On Jumbo Joe
2. Jumbo Joe Takes A Swing At Jamie
If there was ever a moment that screamed, “THIS GUY DESERVES TO BE CAPTAIN,” this was probably it.
In the middle of the lockout season, Jamie Benn and former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thornton threw down in a battle that is still talked about to this day. To be clear, Thornton had at least two inches and 10 pounds on Benn the night they exchanged fists. But when Jumbo Joe slightly speared #14, Mr. Benn had none of it.
The two exchanged some brutal blows on their way to going down in the NHL fights hall of fame for one of the most entertaining bouts to take place in a long time.
Next: 1. Jamie Benn Locks Down The Art Ross In Miraculous Fashion
1. Never Has There Been A Crazier Road To The Art Ross
If you did not expect this one to be at the top of the list, are you really a Dallas Stars fan? I’m highly doubting it at this point if you expected something else to be up here.
As the 2014-15 regular season dwindled down to its final days, it became crystal clear that the Dallas Stars would not be punching their ticket to the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. For some reason, that spurned them to turn on a hot streak all of a sudden and win the final four games of their season, even though the postseason was already a lost cause.
Jamie Benn was an influential part of the winning streak, racking up 12 points in games 76-81 of the season. Then came game 82, and it turned out Benn was in close running for the Art Ross Trophy with John Tavares and Sidney Crosby.
The final game of the season had Benn in a three-man race for the award. After scoring two quick goals in the first 14 minutes of the game, it looked as though the race was down to just Benn and Tavares.
John Tavares would go on to tally two assists in his final game of the year as the Stars continued to play. Once the third period rolled around, it was made known that Benn would need one point to tie (but Benn would lose the tiebreaker considering Tavares had more goals) and two to win the award.
So two points was the only way Jamie would escape with his first Art Ross award. Cue the miracle.
Somehow, Benn was able to get a puck to skitter into the open net from 180 feet out through a mess of defenders to secure a hat trick for himself and tie Tavares. Sadly, that was not enough. But it’s okay, because Jamie Benn would obviously not be stopped.
With about 12 seconds to go in the game, Benn found a way to get his leg in the way of a puck that the Predators were trying to clear out and make contact. The puck would be secured by Trevor Daley, who connected with Cody Eakin on a cross crease feed to score the Stars fourth goal and give Benn an assist for his 87th point of the season.
Where to start on this one? There is no starting place, that’s the crazy thing about it. You cannot fathom all that had to and all that did somehow go right on April 11, 2015. It’s just one of those hockey legends that will go down in history.
How did the puck go 180 feet into the net? How did Benn get a leg on that puck before it was cleared? How did the final goal work out so perfectly to where Benn got an assist? How did he do it all on busted hips as he had done all season? The world may never know.
So, there are some of Jamie Benn’s greatest moments as a Dallas Star. It’s crazy to think of how extremely lucky the club is to have him locked up for another nine years. There is a world of opportunity for Benn to seize and take control of, and if these memories plus the hundreds of others prove anything, it is that the Stars captain is just getting started.
Sit down and get comfy, Dallas Stars fans. The captain is on his way up the totem pole, and there is no end in sight. It’s going to be a fun journey. Enjoy it.
