"He was more shocked than I was," added Benn, regarding his younger brother's reaction to the news that he was Montreal-bound mere days before the trade deadline. "He was like - "Well, let's start packing up, let's get ready." I think I was packed and out of the house in an hour. It was a quick turnaround and I'm here."
Now, Benn is primed to move on to a brand new chapter in his hockey career - and make a name for himself in the process - without Jamie by his side.
"I often heard that in Dallas from the fans, that I was basically hidden behind a superstar, which is true - my brother is an incredible player, so yes, I have the chance to come here and be Jo Benn and not Jamie Benn's brother, which is good," said Benn, who is clearly eager to put his skills on display and prove his worth to the Canadiens' brass from the start. "He's doing great things there [in Dallas] and it's time for me to move on and do my thing."
Before Jordie departed Dallas, though, Jamie was kind enough to reach out to one member of the Canadiens, in particular, on his elder brother's behalf - assistant captain, Shea Weber - who met up with the newest Hab upon his arrival at the team's practice facility at around 9:15 a.m. EST for a quick chat, some breakfast and a personal tour.
"My brother texted Webby for me and passed my number along. We got in touch after the game last night. He just said - "Happy you're here." Now, it's time to rock and roll," said Benn, who is looking forward to getting to know Weber and the rest of the group in the days and weeks to come. "They're a very good team. They've got a lot of great players. I saw him when I first walked in here and he showed me around. Obviously, it's a great locker room."