Sam Bennett admitted making the Team Canada roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off was something that was on his mind since the start of the season.
The forward knew the full rosters for the tournament were being announced Dec. 4, and hoped his prominent role in helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup last season could thrust him into the conversation for one the 13 forward spots.
But when he got a call from a phone number he didn't recognize that day, he ignored it.
Moments later a text from the same number came through. It was Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill, also an assistant GM for Team Canada.
"My heart started racing once I got that text," Bennett said last week. "I called him back and he gave me the good news. I was a little bit in shock. I was really just ecstatic. Called my parents right away; my dad was freaking out a bit. So it was a really cool day."
Bennett has had a lot of cool days in the five seasons he's been with the Panthers. That includes three straight 40-point seasons, two 20-goal seasons and back-to-back trips to the Cup Final, culminating with last season's seven-game win against the Edmonton Oilers.
This season he's second on the Panthers with 13 goals and fourth with 26 points in 29 games. Entering their game against the Calgary Flames on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; SN1, CITY, SNW, SCRIPPS), and with a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Oilers on Monday (8:30 p.m.; TVAS, Prime, NHLN, SCRIPPS), Bennett has gone two games without a point but prior to that set an NHL career-best with points in seven straight (four goals, four assists).
But he also brings a physical element that separates him from other high-skill forwards. He's tied for second on the Panthers with 67 hits, and his irritating style has led to him drawing 13 penalties, including a cross-checking minor against Flyers forward Joel Farabee that led to Sam Reinhart's game-winning goal in Florida's 7-5 win against Philadelphia the day after the 4 Nations roster announcement.
Team Canada will be stocked with high-end scorers, but Bennett will bring something a bit different.
"That's the appreciation for a style of game as much as anything," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "He's not necessarily a 140-point guy, but he's closing on being a point-a-game player. So he's got some great offense, great speed, but there's a physicality to his game, and I'm glad he was appreciated by Team Canada for the game that he plays."
Maurice wasn't the only person happy for Bennett, who is one of an NHL-high eight Panthers players to make a 4 Nations roster. Reinhart will join him on Team Canada, forward Matthew Tkachuk will play for Team USA, defenseman Gustav Forsling is with Team Sweden and Team Finland will have forwards Aleksander Barkov, Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell, and defenseman Niko Mikkola.
"It's a little bit of a validation," Panthers GM Bill Zito said. "We talk about things in life where, especially in sports, you get the guy who comes in and earns it. That's the guy who earned it. That's the guy who did every single thing right and worked his tail off. And it's exciting to watch."
It's a far cry from where Bennett was when he was traded to Florida by the Calgary Flames on April 12, 2021. With the Flames, he struggled to find a consistent role under coach Darryl Sutter and mostly was playing on the fourth line.
"I've loved playing with him, going back to the days in Calgary," said Tkachuk, a teammate with the Flames from 2016-21. "Just to see his progression. We were talking about it the other day. I don't know if many people know this, but in 2020 or 2021 he was in the taxi squad room at one point, and now he's on Team Canada.
"It's unbelievable to see the progression. I'm super happy for him. So lucky to be able to play with him, and we have a lot of fun out there together."
Bennett already is looking forward to getting started, even though 4 Nations Face-Off won't be held until Feb. 12-20, at Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.
"We've already been joking around a little bit," he said. "It's definitely going to be a unique experience playing against your teammates midseason. But that'll be cool. Every game we'll be playing against some of our teammates. So definitely a unique experience but looking forward to it.
"It's obviously a huge honor to get to represent your country. You look at the list of players that are on that team, it's pretty remarkable. It's going to be a really cool experience. I can't wait for that tournament."
