CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Michael Benning’s quest to extend his family’s NHL legacy continues to move full speed ahead.
The 20-year-old defenseman, who was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round (No. 95) of the 2020 NHL Draft, is coming off an impressive sophomore season at the University of Denver that ended with him scoring the game- The winning goal in the NCAA championship game against Minnesota State.
“It’s just another milestone, really,” Benning said during Panthers development camp earlier this month. “It’s trying to improve and get to the next level. The game-winning goal and championship is just kind of icing on the top, but it takes a good group of guys to get there. It’s obviously a great accomplishment for me and will stick with for me for the rest of my life.”
Benning is a different kind of defenseman than his father, Brian, who played 10 NHL seasons from 1984-95, or brother, Matt, who signed a four-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on July 13 after getting 11 assists in 65 games. with the Nashville Predators last season.
Michael is listed at 5-foot-9, 177 pounds, a striking difference from Brian (6-foot, 195) or Matt (6-1, 203), but when it comes to offensive production from the back end, he has the advantage.
In two seasons at the University of Denver, Michael has 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) in 62 games, including 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) in 41 games as a sophomore. Prior to that, he had 136 points (22 goals, 114 assists) in 114 games over two seasons for Sherwood Park of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Matt had 56 points (nine goals, 47 assists) in 110 games over three seasons at Northeastern University after getting 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 87 games over two seasons for Spruce Grove of the AJHL. In 366 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers and Predators, he has 76 points (16 goals, 60 assists).
As for his father, Brian finished his NHL career with 296 points (63 goals, 233 assists) in 568 regular-season games for the St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Oilers and Panthers. He also had 963 penalty minutes.
“[Michael is] an offensive-minded defenseman,” Panthers vice president of player personnel and development Gregory Campbell said. “His two-way game has gotten a lot better; it’s something that we need to keep working on. The skill will always be there.
“But it’s trying to kind of evolve him into a player that can play against the best players in the world and be valuable in that area offensively but not be a liability. That’s kind of where we’re at with Michael.”
Although Brian’s NHL career ended almost seven years before Michael was born, he has still been able to pass some stuff down to his son from his playing days.
“I got some of his vintage stuff,” Michael said. “I got [an] old shirt, old shorts. It’s always cool to have that generation-to-generation thing.
“There’s been a lot of advice he’s been giving me over the years. For me, just stay confident. It’s all in your head. It’s 70 percent mental, 30 percent physical.”
As he continues to follow in his family’s footsteps towards the NHL, Michael understands what hurdles he still has to face and where he needs to improve.
“For me individually, I just need to get stronger,” he said. “I’m a small guy. Strength doesn’t hurt you. [Get] faster. Keep that mindset of trying to get to the next level.”
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