Simon Benoit

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Simon Benoit
Toronto Maple Leafs at Seattle Kraken - 2024-01-21 - Tye Kartye and Simon Benoit (53481030183) (cropped).jpg
Benoit with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024
Born (1998-09-19) September 19, 1998 (age 26)
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Defence / Right wing [1]
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
Anaheim Ducks
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2018present

Simon Benoit (born September 19, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Contents

Playing career

Benoit played as a youth Ligue de hockey M18 AAA du Québec (LHMU18AAA) with Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal before he was drafted by the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in the eighth round, 129th overall, of the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. [2]

Benoit with the Anaheim Ducks in 2023 Jared McCann, John Gibson, and Simon Benoit.jpg
Benoit with the Anaheim Ducks in 2023

Benoit played three seasons in the QMJHL with the Cataractes before he was signed as an undrafted free agent to a one-year contract with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL), the primary affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks on September 25, 2018. [3] In his first professional year with the Gulls in the 2018–19 season, Benoit impressed by leading the Gulls in Plus/Minus with +16 and collecting 2 goals and 16 points through 65 regular season games. On March 8, 2019, he was signed by the Ducks to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2019–20 season. [4]

During the 2020–21 season, while in his third year with the San Diego Gulls and adding dependable defensive play on the blueline, Benoit was recalled by the Ducks to make his NHL debut on April 29, 2021. [5] While appearing on the Ducks third defensive pairing, Benoit went scoreless with 12 minutes time on ice in a 3–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. [6] In the following 2021–22 season, on October 28, 2021, Benoit scored his first NHL goal in his eighth game with the Ducks, a game tying goal, against the Buffalo Sabres in a 4–3 OT loss. [7] Benoit played his first full season with the Ducks during the 2021–22 season. [8]

Having played five seasons within the Anaheim Ducks organization, as a pending restricted free agent Benoit was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team and was released as a unrestricted free agent. [9] He was signed on August 28, 2023, to a one-year, $775,000 contract by the Toronto Maple Leafs. [10] Benoit failed to make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers. After going unclaimed, Benoit was assigned to the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. [11] After Timothy Liljegren was injured, Benoit was recalled by the Maple Leafs on November 4. [12] He made his debut with the Maple Leafs in a 6–5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 6. [13] After 54 games and leading the Leafs in hits with 205 at that juncture in the season, Benoit was rewarded with a three-year extension with the club worth an average value of $1.35 million per year. [14]

During the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, Benoit received a primary assist from the overtime goal of Max Domi in Game 2 of the first round series against the Ottawa Senators. [15] Two days later, he scored his first playoff goal, in overtime, in Game 3, at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, giving the Maple Leafs a 3–0 series lead, reminding those observing of fellow defenceman Cory Cross, who also scored an overtime goal for Toronto during the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs to give them a 3–0 series lead. [16] [17]

Personal life

Benoit and his longtime girlfriend, Alice, have one child, who was born in September 2024. [18]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2014–15Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal QMAAA 42311142040222
2015–16 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 551232220000
2016–17 Shawinigan CataractesQMJHL64210124760000
2017–18 Shawinigan CataractesQMJHL635232867
2018–19 San Diego Gulls AHL 652141633160336
2019–20 San Diego GullsAHL564151939
2020–21 San Diego GullsAHL381783230110
2020–21 Anaheim Ducks NHL 60002
2021–22 San Diego GullsAHL1000020002
2021–22 Anaheim DucksNHL5314522
2022–23 Anaheim DucksNHL78371060
2023–24 Toronto Marlies AHL20000
2023–24 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL641455670004
2024–25 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL781910591311210
NHL totals279624301992011214

References

  1. "Toronto Maple Leafs Line Combinations". November 22, 2024. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024.
  2. Lepage, Guillaume (April 30, 2021). "Ducks: Simon Benoit n'est pas rassasié" [Ducks: Simon Benoit is not satisfied]. NHL.com (in French). Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  3. "Un contrat de la LAH pour Simon Benoit" [AHL contract for Simon Benoit]. TVA Sports (in French). QMI. September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  4. "Ducks sign Simon Benoit". Anaheim Ducks. March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  5. "Ducks recall Zegras, Benoit from San Diego". Anaheim Ducks. April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  6. "Ducks defeat Kings 3-2". ESPN . April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  7. "Rasmus Asplund's 2nd goal in OT puts Sabres past Ducks 4-3". ESPN. Associated Press. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  8. Kloke, Joshua (October 5, 2023). "Meet Simon Benoit, the defenceman the Maple Leafs could end up needing". The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  9. "Ducks extend qualifying offers to five restricted free agents". Anaheim Ducks. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  10. "Maple Leafs add free-agent Simon Benoit to bolster defence". Sportsnet . August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  11. Barden, Nick (October 8, 2023). "Maple Leafs Waive Martin Jones and Others to Clear Cap Space Ahead of NHL Regular Season Roster Submission Deadline". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  12. "Maple Leafs place Timothy Liljegren on LTIR, recall Simon Benoit, Maxime Lajoie". Sportsnet. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  13. Clipperton, Joshua (November 6, 2023). "Jarnkrok scores in OT as Maple Leafs pick up wild 6-5 win over Lightning". CP24. The Canadian Press. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  14. Barden, Nick (March 29, 2024). "Why the Maple Leafs Signed Simon Benoit to Three-Year, $4.05 Million Extension". The Hockey News . Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  15. McGran, Kevin (April 22, 2025). "Max Domi scores in overtime and continues a family tradition as Leafs take Game 2 against Senators. 'We needed that one'". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  16. Fox, Luke (April 25, 2025). "Maple Leafs' unlikely hero Simon Benoit scores biggest goal of his life". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  17. Zeisberger, Mike (April 24, 2025). "Benoit surprise OT hero, again, for Maple Leafs against Senators". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  18. Hornby, Lance (September 20, 2024). "Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit busy with new baby and battling for his role at Craig Berube's camp". Toronto Sun. Retrieved April 25, 2025.