Zach Benson

Last updated

Zachary Benson
Born (2005-05-12) May 12, 2005 (age 20)
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 170 [1]  lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NHL team Buffalo Sabres
NHL draft 13th overall, 2023
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2023–present

Zachary Ruben Benson [2] (born May 12, 2005) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 13th overall by the Sabres in the 2023 NHL entry draft. [3]

Contents

Early life

Benson was born May 12, 2005, in Chilliwack, British Columbia, [4] to Darcy and Jaclyn Benson. [5] His family owns a traveling carnival, and Benson spent his childhood assisting his parents at carnivals across western Canada. [6] [7] He played minor ice hockey in Chilliwack before transferring to Yale Hockey Academy in 2018. [8] In his first season with the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), Benson recorded six goals and 19 points in 28 regular season games, with an additional four points in five postseason games. [9] During the 2019–20 season, Benson scored 30 goals and recorded 86 points in 30 games for Yale, and he was named the CSSHL most valuable player. [10]

Playing career

Junior

The Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League (WHL) selected Benson 14th overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, [11] and he signed with the team on April 29. [12] Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth ice hockey, Benson was allowed to play in the 2020–21 WHL season as a 15-year-old. [13] He made an immediate impact, with three goals and seven points in his first nine junior ice hockey games. [14]

Benson finished third in WHL scoring in 2022–23 with 36 goals and 98 points in 60 games, behind fellow BC-born prospect Connor Bedard. [15]

Professional

On July 28, 2023, Benson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Sabres. [16] On October 12, Benson made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers, where he logged a minor penalty in a 5–1 loss. [17] On November 22, Benson scored his first career goal in a 3–4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. [18]

International play

At the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Benson had two goals and five assists in five games, helping Canada win gold. [19]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2020–21 Winnipeg Ice WHL 2410102012—————
2021–22 Winnipeg IceWHL5825386328159142310
2022–23 Winnipeg IceWHL603662984915710178
2023–24 Buffalo Sabres NHL 7111193036—————
2024–25 Buffalo SabresNHL7510182860—————
NHL totals14621375896—————

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2022 Canada HG18 Gold medal icon.svg52572
Junior totals52572

Awards and honours

AwardYear
WHL
East First All-Star Team 2023 [20]
CHL Third All-Star Team2023

References

  1. ↑ "Zach Benson Stats and News".
  2. ↑ @SabresLive (March 14, 2024). "Dis OR Dat™️ - Better middle name - Ruben OR Gaston? CC:@Ruben7974 Check out @martybiron43's entire chat with @BuffaloSabres forward Zach Benson👇" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ Cosentino, Sam. "Prospect of Interest: The dynamic offensive game of Zach Benson". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Zach Benson Stats and News". National Hockey League . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  5. ↑ Welsh, Eric (June 29, 2023). "Chilliwack's Zach Benson drafted by NHL's Buffalo Sabres". Chilliwack Progress . Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  6. ↑ Sawatzky, Mike (April 2, 2022). "Life a roller-coaster ride for Benson". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  7. ↑ Han, Giana (June 23, 2023). "Zach Benson is proof good things can come in small packages. Could he be the next Brayden Point?" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Congratulations from Chilliwack Minor Hockey". Chilliwack Minor Hockey. April 25, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Benson Puts Pen to Paper on NHL Deal". Canadian Sport School Hockey League. July 31, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  10. ↑ Ellis, Steven (December 10, 2021). "Zach Benson is a Star in the Making". The Hockey News . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  11. ↑ "2020 WHL Bantam Draft recap". Canadian Hockey League. Wenatchee Wild. April 22, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Winnipeg Ice announce the signing of Zach Benson to a WHL Standard Player Agreement". Canadian Hockey League. Wenatchee Wild. April 29, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  13. ↑ Vanstone, Rob (February 17, 2023). "Back to the Brandt Centre for Winnipeg Ice's Zach Benson". Regina Leader-Post . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  14. ↑ Sawatzky, Mike (March 30, 2021). "Benson quick to impress". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  15. ↑ Clipperton, Joshua. "Zach Benson's winding road primed for next stop — the NHL draft". BurnabyNow. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ Reporter, Mike Harrington News Sports (July 28, 2023). "Sabres sign first-round pick Zach Benson to his entry-level contract". Buffalo News. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  17. ↑ Hoppe, Bill (October 12, 2023). "Sabres fall in early hole, lose opener; Zach Benson sharp in NHL debut". buffalohockeybeat.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  18. ↑ Brehm, Mike (November 22, 2023). "Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson scores first goal on highlight-reel, between-the-legs shot". USA Today. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  19. ↑ Engel, Heather. "Benson uses speed, work ethic to emerge as top 2023 NHL Draft prospect". NHL. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  20. ↑ "WHL names 2022–23 East Division First All-Star Team". Western Hockey League. March 28, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick
2023 		Succeeded by
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