Matt Benning is an Edmonton Oiler but his heart remains in St. Albert.
The National Hockey League defenceman was surrounded by a posse of buddies at the second annual Merch Madness Cup tournament, hosted by the St. Albert Merchants Hockey Club on Friday at the Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club, and it was good times and lots of laughs for the St. Albert minor hockey product.
“It’s a fun time. I grew up playing hockey with all these guys. A lot of them I’m best friends with and they’re going to be guys at my wedding,” Benning said. “It’s good to reconnect. There are a lot of people I know that are from St. Albert that I’ve played with. The hockey community is so tight, especially in St. Albert, so it’s exciting to not only see that everyone is still around and doing well but also just to catch up with old friends.”
Benning, 23, burst onto the NHL scene after signing a two year entry-level contract with the Oilers last August after three years with the Northeastern University Huskies.
The bantam AAA Sabre and midget AAA Raider in St. Albert and Spruce Grove Saint in the Alberta Junior Hockey League made a smooth transition from the NCAA to the NHL and in 62 regular-season games contributed three goals and 12 assists and was plus-eight.
In the playoffs, Benning played in the last 12 of the Oilers’ 13 games and was plus-three with three assists.
The six-foot-one and 195-pound blueliner also dished out some punishing open-ice body checks that caught several players off guard.
Benning reflected on his NHL breakthrough with the Oilers after shooting an undisclosed round of golf in support of the junior B Merchants.
How much fun was your first season?
Benning: “It was exciting because at first I thought I was going to play in the American league for most of the year and then maybe if I was lucky I would get a shot at the end of the year.
“It was a great year. I was drafted by Boston (in the sixth round, 175th overall, in 2012) but I grew up watching the Oilers and I was still a fan. Those 10 years that we didn’t make the playoffs I was disappointed so to be part of the team this year that was so good was exciting.
“We’re a young team and we’ve got experience from this past year so it’s exciting to see that part of it. As well, there are guys coming back and there are guys that going to be added by (president of hockey operations and general manager) Pete Chiarelli. He did a good job this year in putting together a team that was ready for the playoffs.
“We’ve got a good group of young guys and a good group of older guys that will help get us into playoffs and help us out in the playoffs.”
What was your welcome to the NHL moment?
Benning: “To be honest, it was when Milan Lucic shook my hand after the rookie party and said ‘Welcome to the NHL.’ That kind of got me right in the heart.
“But I guess after the first 20 or 30 games it was like holy smokes, I’m playing against Steven Stamkos, I’m playing against Jonathan Toews, I’m playing against Alex Ovechkin, I’m playing against Sidney Crosby and then after that I was like OK, I can play against these guys. After that it was all right.”
You had some exciting moments (NHL debut Nov. 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre and first NHL goal Jan. 7 in the third period against Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Centre) but what stands out the most?
Benning: “If you asked what the most exciting part of the year was it was at the beginning because we had such a good start (7-1). I didn’t play in any of those games but that was the most exciting part for me just watching those games.
“I figured that our team was doing so well that there was no spot to be had and that I would go to the American league and play well and try and contend for a spot up here. As a young defenceman you need to play games to develop and I thought I was going to be sent down earlier but they held me for awhile and then sent me down (to the Bakersfield Condors).
“You never want to see a guy go down with an injury but I got fortunate with an injury and that’s kind where I got my opportunity and you’ve got to pounce on that.”
How thrilling was the playoff run?
Benning: “It was amazing. We’ve waited 10 plus years for this and as a player it’s that much more exciting because anything you’ve experienced in the past it’s multiplied by at least 10. The fans brought the noise and they were amazing.
“I thought we did a pretty good job, there were just a couple of games that we didn’t have our best game.”
What’s it like to play on the same team as Connor McDavid?
Benning: “When you think of the franchise of the team you don’t think of the new arena, you think of Connor McDavid. Don’t get me wrong, the new arena is the best arena in the whole world but you have Connor McDavid and he’s a special player. The nice part about him is he’s a humble guy and a good person.”
Have you started training for the upcoming season?
Benning: “Yes, this is week two of training. I’m at Rogers (Place) working hard. It’s me, (Mark) Letestu and (Cam) Talbot and we’re pushing each other and there are a few other prospects that are kind of chasing us and trying to steal our jobs.
“Basically, there is a lot of pressure on all of us. When you come into training camp it’s an even playing field and those young guys are trying to push as much as they can to take your job and you’re trying to hold your job or create a job so it’s going to be a good training camp.
“With the new building and the success we had this year there will be more players wanting to come and play in Edmonton and that’s a good thing for the Oilers’ organization. We’ll move forward and have a good year. We’ll have a lot of our main guys back and some new ones will step in and fill spots and that’s what it’s all about.”
