| Beau Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1991 Gardena, CA |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) |
| Position | Forward |
| Shoots | Right |
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Pittsburgh Penguins Denver Pioneers (WCHA) |
| NHL Draft | 20th overall, 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Playing career | 2010–present |
Beau Bennett (born November 27, 1991) is an American ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Denver Pioneers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Bennett is currently a sophmore at the University of Denver. He graduated from Valley Christian High School in San Jose, California. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (20th overall). [1] He is the highest-drafted California born-and-trained player in NHL history.[2]
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Beau committed in June 2009 to play for Penticton's British Columbia Hockey League team, the Penticton Vees. He chose Penticton over the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and the USHL's Tri-City Storm, owning his major jr. and USHL playing rights respectively. While only a rookie, Beau was placed on the top forward line alongside team captain, Denver Manderson (center) and Alex Szczechura (left wing).
Bennett had an incredibly strong start to his season before being named to represent his country at the World Junior A Challenge. After contributing three goals and four points and winning a gold medal, Beau returned to Penticton to record ten goals and ten assists in nine games. In December, he was named top forward at the CJHL prospects games in Winkler, Manitoba. In January, Beau played in the BCHL All-Star Game. [3] Near the end of the season, due to injury to the top line's center, Manderson, Bennett was switched to center, a position he had never played. He flourished in the position, and in the final regular season game, scored four points to tie Mark Zengerle for the league scoring title. (With 120 points each, Bennett had 41 goals and 79 assists, Zengerle had 33 goals and 87 assists.)[4] [5] In the Interior Conference Finals, the Vees faced elimination by the Vernon Vipers. The Vipers hosted Game Five, which went into triple overtime. After helping force a 2-2 tie by contributing a goal, Bennett set up the play that gave the Vees another chance. After receiving a pass, he beat defenders and approached the right side of the net, pursued by captain Manderson as well as Vernon defense. Pretending to attempt a wraparound goal, he used a skillful backhand pass through his skates to Manderson that Vernon goalie, Graeme Gordon, didn't see. Making as though he still carried the puck, he swept around the back of the net, with Gordon following to cover his right (net's left) side of the net, leaving his left (net's right) wide open for Manderson to snap the perfectly placed puck between the pipes. The Vees went on to be defeated in Game 6.
Despite the less than perfect end to his season, Bennett was named the BCHL's Rookie of the Year, as well as received the Penticton Vees' Leading Scorer Award and the Rookie of the Year Award.[6]
In his Freshman year, Bennett played 37 games and tallied 25 points on nine goals and 16 assists and added one power-play goal and one game-winning goal in a 3-2 win against Alaska-Anchorage. He recorded four multi-point games. He tallied a career-best two points in games against Bemidji State, Lake Superior State, Minnesota State and Alaska-Anchorage. He tallied six assists during a six-game point streak from March 4 through March 19. Bennett added 98 hits and 15 blocked shots. He missed five games from December 4 through January 1 with a right knee injury. Bennett committed nine penalties for 18 PIMs.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | Penticton Vees | BCHL | 56 | 41 | 79 | 120 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | University of Denver | WCHA | 37 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| WCHA totals | 37 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 18 | |||||||||
| Preceded by Simon Després |
Pittsburgh Penguins first round draft pick 2010 |
Succeeded by Joe Morrow |