Beniers finds comfort at home with new roommates Samoskevich, Catton

Matty Beniers has found solace in the company of his two new roommates.

The Seattle Kraken center admits he had a tendency of lingering too long on games where he was unable to reach the high bar set by his Calder Trophy season as the NHL’s top rookie in 2022-23.

But living with teammates Mackie Samoskevich and Berkly Catton has Beniers in a better state of mind this season.

“The best part of it is having guys back home that you can hang out with, it kind of just takes you away from hockey, even if it’s for a little bit,” Beniers told NHL.com. “Even if you’re talking about the game, at least you’re doing it with somebody else on the team that’s going through what you’re going through.

“A lot of guys have families, girlfriends and kids and when you come home to that, the game’s gone. But for the guys that are living alone, it definitely gets tougher when you come home and that’s all you’re thinking about.”

Beniers had 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 80 games in his first full NHL season. He won the Calder ahead of Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power, who were also finalists.

But the 23-year-old has been chasing that production since. 

Beniers had 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games last season, his most since winning the Calder.

He believes his new living arrangement, sharing a house with Samoskevich and Catton, will be beneficial in trying to surpass his rookie point totals. He has four points (two goals, two assists) in 10 games for the Kraken (6-3-1).

“I think every guy, if you’re not playing up to your standard, you’re not totally happy with it, but you can’t let yourself get too beat up about it,” Beniers said. “It’s good to be hard on yourself. I think it’s good to have standards and expectations, but if you don’t meet them game to game, you have to flush it and move on and that’s where it helps with those guys.”

Beniers and Samoskevich know each other well from their year together at the University of Michigan. Beniers was selected by Seattle with the No. 2 pick and Samoskevich was taken by the Florida Panthers at No. 24 in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Samoskevich was acquired by the Kraken from the Panthers on June 21 for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2027, reuniting the college teammates. The 23-year-old has five points (four goals, one assist) in nine games for Seattle this season.

Catton was selected by Seattle with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old is in his second season with the Kraken and has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 10 games.

“It’s good to have them there because even if you’re talking hockey and you’re upset about a play, you can laugh it off and it’s gone,” Beniers said. “When you’re alone, you just stew on it and think, ‘How did I not make that play?’ So, it’s been a lot of fun with them.”

The three living together is also working out well for the Kraken, who are off to a strong start offensively. They are the sixth-highest scoring team in the League, averaging 3.70 goals per game.

“It’s been great, we’re all like-minded people and we all have a common goal,” Catton said. “At the rink it’s great, we get to go do that and then when we come home, we kind of get to get away from it. I think when you’re by yourself, you can get into a situation where you’re thinking about the game all the time, but when you’re with your buddies and are just hanging out, you kind of get refreshed quicker.”

A fresh approach is helping Beniers continue his development into a solid top-line center who can contribute at each end of the ice. He, Samoskevich and left wing Jared McCann are proving to be an effective top line.

“I feel like I had a great summer and I’m just trying to keep getting better and trying to keep building my offensive ability, as long as my 200-foot game is strong,” Beniers said. “Overall, I’m feeling pretty good about the year. I like the team we have in here and love the culture we have and the guys we have in the room.”

As an alternate captain, Beniers is responsible for helping developing that culture. He was named an alternate when Seattle named veteran forward Jordan Eberle as captain prior to the 2024-25 season.

“What I was really happy about when I first got to him last year, was his 200-foot game,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “He has a pretty keen responsibility level, and he continues to work and grow in that area. There’s a level of commitment from him to be a 200-foot player and that’s why he’s having success doing it.”

A good season by Beniers will go a long way toward helping Seattle qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time since the franchise’s inception for the 2021-22 season. Beniers’ Calder Trophy-winning season played a big part in their first playoff berth in 2022-23.

The question that comes to mind among the three, however, is who does the cooking?

“There’s not a lot of cooking or a lot of good cooking I should say, going on,” Catton said. “We have a cook who comes in and brings us some meals, so we don’t burn the house down.”