Benn prepared to play 1,000th NHL game for Stars
Dallas captain set to reach milestone when team hosts Ducks on Monday
"I think the best part about it all is that I've done it with one organization. I take a lot of pride in putting that jersey on every night, and I think that's probably what's most special to me," said Benn, who will play his 1,000th game for the Stars when they host the Anaheim Ducks at American Airlines Center on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; BSSWX, BSW, ESPN+, SN NOW).
"I call the city home now and made a lot of good friends down here, stay down here in the summers mostly. It just means a lot to be able to do it all with this organization."
Selected by the Stars in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Benn is second in their history in goals (348), and third in assists (465) and points (813). He is the second player in their history to play in 1,000 games, joining Mike Modano (1,459).
Benn still remembers his first NHL game, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Oct. 3, 2009.
"I think I was mostly excited because it's your first, but I looked up to [former Predators defenseman] Shea Weber and him being an ex-Kelowna Rocket," said Benn, who played two seasons with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. "I was pretty excited to play against him."
It's been a good career for Benn, who's in the midst of a rebound season. The 33-year-old has 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 51 games after finishing with 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) in 82 games last season.
"The pinnacle of Dallas Stars hockey," forward Jason Robertson said. "He's deserved it, the longevity. He's still producing this year, he's still our captain. He does everything, he shows up, he's professional. Just a consistency in what he's been doing, and with one franchise, it's even more impressive."
Among his accomplishments, Benn was named Dallas' captain on Sept. 19, 2013, and won the Art Ross Trophy, given annually to the player who leads the League in scoring, in 2014-15, when he had 87 points (35 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games.
The following season, he finished with an career-high 89 points (41 goals, 48 assists) in 82 games.
"He can be physical, he can score," said New Jersey Devils coach Lindy Ruff, who coached Benn when he was with the Stars from 2013-17. "He won a scoring championship while I was here. That might have surprised a lot of people around the League at the time, but it's something that he has to be really proud of.
"There's not a lot of players that do it with one team or one franchise. For him to do it is a great accomplishment."
Peter DeBoer, who was named Stars coach on June 21, 2022, was familiar with Benn having coached against him with the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights. However, he has learned even more about him over the past few months.
"He was always a great player, power forward, so it's just what a team guy [he is]," DeBoer said. "One of the most unselfish people I've ever met. It's never about him or his statistics or his ice time or what he wants.
"His answer, every time we have hockey discussions, even about his own game, it's, 'What's best for the team? What helps us win?' A lot of guys say that, but very few guys mean it. And he means it."
In front of the media, Benn is usually fairly quiet and reserved, speaking in a low voice that is sometimes barely audible. Around teammates in the locker room, however, it's a different story, especially with his leadership.
"He likes to lead with action, but you can't put down the fact of how much more vocal he's gotten," forward Tyler Seguin said. "My first few years, he definitely was 100 percent more of an action guy. You knew when to check the temperature of the room and go out and just grab the biggest guy and kind of fight him.
"Now he's just more vocal, he talks before every game, sending messages about what he thinks we need to do. He sets the standard and the bar of what he expects of the group and himself. By that, he leads by example."
The 1,000-game milestone is an impressive one for any player, but especially for someone who plays such a physical game as Benn does.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson, who played with the Stars from 2016-21, said he remembers seeing an injured Benn willing himself through a lot of games.
"There were some days where I'd see him and I couldn't believe he was ready to go for another game," Dickinson said. "He was banged up pretty much 24/7 when I was with him, and he found a way to get through it. Nothing seemed to bother him too much. He was pretty good at adapting his game for how he felt physically and to make it to 1,000, I'm super happy he's gotten there. It's a huge accomplishment."
Benn has done a lot in his NHL career, but what still drives him is that pursuit of the Stanley Cup. He came close in 2019-20, when the Stars lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.
This season, the Stars (28-13-10) entered the All-Star break first in the Central Division with 66 points, one ahead of the Winnipeg Jets. Benn said he likes where the team is going and is looking for another long run postseason run, this time for a Cup.
"I thought we had a good team a few years ago when we made that long run, and I think this year's team is even better than that one," he said. "We're in a good position here to make that good run, and hopefully good things happen with it."
NHL.com independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this report.
