Larsson couldn't help but smile during his "fun to be around" comment. Beniers is a lively and prominent voice in the Kraken locker room, chirping veteran teammates, denying he is a bad driver (as decreed by his fellow carpoolers Will Borgen and Carson Soucy) or talking to a reporter about not knowing what to pack for a two-week road trip.
When GM Ron Francis and coach Dave Hakstol broke the All-Star news to Beniers before a practice last week, the Kraken center definitely knew what to do in that case: He hurried back to the locker room to text his parents, "Hey, guys, I'm going to the All-Star Game!" before running out to practice.
"Honestly, I thought I was in a little trouble when Ron and Coach Hak pulled me aside," said Beniers, laughing. "I was star-struck when they told me. I was super excited. My parents were fired up and immediately saying they're going down to Florida [All-Star weekend is Feb. 3 and 4 in Sunrise, home of the NHL Panthers]. It's obviously a huge honor. I definitely had a little extra hop during practice that day."
"We're proud of Matty being named to the NHL All-Star Game," said Francis. "It's a testament to his hard work and dedication. We're looking forward to watching him represent the Kraken at one of the League's premier events."
Coach Dave Hakstol has praised his young center's poise and hockey IQ since Beniers walked off the University of Michigan campus and into the Kraken locker room. This season, Hakstol and the coaching staff have increasingly entrusted Beniers with veteran-type responsibilities, such as taking faceoffs in the defensive zone, consistently earning top-line minutes and playing a net-front role on the power play (a recent change that resulted in Beniers' man-advantage goal Tuesday to jumpstart a comeback win over division foe Edmonton). Hakstol said Beniers has earned that trust "by what he does every day in his approach."
"It's about his demeanor and his competitiveness," said Hakstol. "Matty has been a guy who just shows up and works every day. He's an intelligent person. He's got a great hockey sense. That competitiveness never wanes. It's not up and down. His competitiveness is there, day in and day out.
"As a young guy in this league, especially as a centerman, that's a heavy load to carry. I've said it all along, there's going to be nights where he's having great success, there's going to be other nights that are more difficult. But his demeanor doesn't change his response to the next day, the next shift, the next period."
Early this season, a Pacific Division pro scout was on hand for a Kraken road game. During a quick pre-game hello, the scout mentioned he had not watched Beniers in person yet. He promised to stop by with his evaluation before leaving for the night. But the scout didn't wait that long.
"Three shifts, that's all I needed," said the scout at first intermission. "He's the real deal. He's going to play in this league for a long time."
For now, Beniers will be playing in his first All-Star Game and Skills Competition Feb. 3 and 4 in South Florida. He's looking forward to meeting the other all-stars.
"I'm excited to be around them and listen to what they have to say," said Beniers. "I've been excited to play against them in [regular-season] games. It will be fun to meet them. These are guys I grew up watching."
