A growing legacy: Benn continues building on impressive career with Stars

I’ve been asked in the past few years who I think will be the next player to have his number retired, and I keep coming back to Jamie Benn.

With the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame filling in the gap on players who might be on the bubble, and the franchise focusing on keeping the retired numbers exclusive, the 34-year-old Benn seems to be a natural pick.

That’s become more apparent as the captain climbs the career-best lists for the Stars, moving into a spot where he trails only Mike Modano in just about every statistical category. Benn passed Neal Broten for second place in games played last season and slipped past Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey in points on Monday. With his assist on Thomas Harley’s overtime winner, Benn tallied point No. 868 to move ahead of Broten. Modano still has a huge lead in every category, and points might be the most significant. The Hall-of-Famer had 1,359 points with the franchise, and there’s a good chance that number will never be touched.

But Benn’s accomplishments put him in a pretty special place, too.

Just look at the assist on Monday. It was a simple faceoff win at the exact right time of the game. Faceoffs are huge in overtime, and Benn ensured Dallas had possession of the puck. That eventually led to Matt Duchene finding Harley on the doorstep for an easy tap-in. It was a huge goal for a team that needed some good news in overtime. They had allowed Seattle to tie the game in the final minute and would have been seriously disappointed to lose that game.

So having Benn’s calming hand was critical.

He was noticeable earlier in the game when he was both physical and relentless in winning a few puck battles. He was huge in overtime in helping direct a Stars team that has had some issues at 3-on-3 in recent games. He is often the rudder of this ship even when he’s not the explosive force he has been at different times in his career.

It’s been quite the journey for Benn. He was drafted in the fifth round out of the BCHL in 2007, a longshot to even make the league. He moved up to the WHL and had some success in Kelowna, then jumped right into the NHL as a rookie in 2009 with a very respectable 41 points (22 goals, 19 assists) in 82 games. But as good as that was, the real potential of Benn shone through when he was assigned to the AHL at the end of the season. The unvarnished forward exhibited both skill and strength in leading the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup Final, where they lost in six games to a fantastic Hershey team that featured future NHLers John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth. Benn finished with 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) in 24 playoff games and basically carried Texas to the finals. He not only showed his skills and abilities, but also gave a glimpse into his leadership.

When Jim Nill took over as GM in 2013, he named the then-24-year-old Benn team captain. It was the right move at the right time, as Benn embraced the role and helped push Dallas through some fairly choppy waters. After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons, the Stars got back into the mix in the NHL. They made a playoff appearance in 2014 and then won the Central Division in 2016. Benn won the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring leader in 2015 and also was named NHL First Team All-Star in both 2014 and 2016. It was the first time in franchise history a Stars player was given that honor, and it was only repeated when Jason Robertson was a First Team All-Star last season.

That’s high cotton when you think about the trophies this organization has gathered.

Mix in the past few playoff runs, and they have “Jamie Benn” written all over them. Dallas lost in the second round in Game 7 overtime to eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis in 2019. It got to the Stanley Cup Final in the Edmonton bubble in 2020, losing in six games to Tampa Bay. Last season, they lost in six games in the Western Conference Final to Vegas, who would go on to beat Florida in five games in the Final. That is a heck of a statement for a player who didn’t have great playoff success early in his career, and it’s also a huge part of the legacy that Benn is forging with the Stars.

He currently sits second to Modano in games played (1,459 to 1,060), second in points (1,359 to 868), second in goals (557 to 367) and second in game-winning goals (92 to 55). He has worn the “C” longer than any player in franchise history and has given fans some incredible memories.

And the best part is he’s nowhere close to done. At a time when the franchise is playing some of its best hockey in two decades, Benn is right in the middle of it. He’s dropped his time on ice from 18:14 to 15:08 over a span of five seasons, but he remains just as effective. His 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists) is impressive and his plus-6 is among the team leaders this season.

Just as important, he plays in every phase of the game and has been a mentor to Wyatt Johnston. He leads the team in faceoff winning percentage at 59.6 percent, which is an impressive testament to what he has done in his career. When the Stars were thin at center, then-GM Joe Nieuwendyk moved Benn into the pivot. We were told at the time that Benn was a very good center. When Nill came in, Benn was moved back, because the belief was he was an even better left winger. Throughout those decisions and shifts, Benn never balked. He did what was expected of him and did it pretty darn well. He has been under the direction of seven head coaches in 15 seasons, and he has found a way to make it work on his way to crafting an impressive career.

And as we move forward, the belief is he has some pretty good years ahead. Benn still dearly wants to win the Stanley Cup, and it seems he could have that chance with this current group. He is not the cog he once was, but if you have players better than Jamie Benn, then you’re probably moving in the right direction.

While his eventual No. 14 banner is pretty much a fait accompli at this point, it sure would be nice to get another championship one up there before that day comes.

Its not hard to imagine him staring up at both of them, as a snapshot of a significant era of Stars hockey.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.