Kingston Frontenacs’ Sam Bennett being Central Scouting’s top prospect no shock to OHL peers

Of all the launch points for a Sam Bennett story, a play in a game 15 months ago where he didn't even earn a point seems a little esoteric.

Yet here we are, on Thanksgiving weekend 2012 and a rare Saturday night home game in Kingston, Ont., where Fridays and Sundays have long been gamedays. The host Frontenacs were on what, looking back, was a paradigm power play in a season where they finished dead last in the Ontario Hockey League in cashing in extra-skater chances. A lot of well-executed perimeter passing, no chance to break down the Sudbury Wolves' penalty-killing box. The Wolves got a chance to lob the puck down the ice to relieve pressure when Bennett showed wherewithal well beyond that of a lithe 16-year-old playing his seventh game in the OHL. Subtly, he used the shaft of his stick to cut off the Wolves' clear. Kingston kept possession and scored.

Hopefully that helps demystify Bennett, whom NHL Central Scouting was somewhat surprisingly anointed as its top domestic skater in its 2014 draft ranking. The Holland Landing, Ont., might not have the profile of other top draft hopefuls, since the 17-year-old wasn't considered for Team Canada and missed Wednesday's CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Calgary due to a groin injury. But to have watched him is to know Bennett has elite skill and is shrewd about pursuing his obligation to have the puck.

'Everyone's got my back'

"I've always been like that with how I've gone after the puck," says the 17-year-old Bennett, currently sitting on a 24-game point streak that is the longest by a Kingston player since Bernie Nicholls tallied in 26 in a row in 1980-81, the year that the Memorial Cup-winning Cornwall Royals' lineup included an indomitable 17-year-old named Doug Gilmour.

"The first year I was a little timid, but this year I've become more confident and, with that, more aggressive.

"With this team that we have here, it definitely helps with the kind of game I play," says Bennett, who wears the No. 93 that Gilmour, Kingston's GM, made famous with the Toronto Maple Leafs. "I know everyone's got my back. I can be chippy and go battle in the corner."

That trait is more evident now that Bennett's guile is buttressed by the gains made during a summer training with Andy O'Brien, the conditioning and strength guru who also helped Sidney Crosby bulk up. Bennett is listed at 6-foot and 181 pounds, yet doesn't seem fazed by the size of the defenceman he goes into a corner of rink against. It seems like a Kingston game isn't official without Bennett and a bigger, older rearguard in a crowd-drawing staredown after a whistle.

"He’s fearless," marvels teammate Roland McKeown, who is representing the Fronts in the Prospects game, along with Bennett's regular right wing, Spencer Watson. "He leads by example, the other guys are amazed by his ability on and off the ice. He's such a fierce competitor."

Bennett's hard to dislodge from the puck. Know that much.

Bennett's contemporaries, suffice to say, are less shocked by the Central Scouting outcome than national media. Bennett's been a terror for much of the season, climbing to fourth in OHL scoring with 26 goals and 66 points over 40 games. (With 46 even-strength and short-handed points, Bennett has likely been more prolific while at 5-on-5 the three other draft-eligible OHLers who are top-10 scorers, Oshawa's Michael Dal Colle, Niagara's Brendan Perlini and Sarnia's Nikolay Goldobin.)

"He’s had an unbelievable start to the season and coming into the second half he’s proved he’s one of those players at that very top," says Barrie Colts defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who could be the No. 1 overall pick in June. "It was my job the other night [last Saturday] to shut him down and I take a lot of pride in doing that."

"He's someone you have to have good timing on or you’re going to get blown around wide," says Ottawa 67's defenceman Jacob Middleton, whose team is in the same division as the Fronts. "The core strength he has must be something else too because he can out-battle guys."

Perlini was a teammate in Niagara of two-time Team Canada forward Ryan Strome last season. The IceDogs sniper notes Bennett has an extra gear.

"I try not to pay attention to what other guys are doing, but I notice how hard he goes after the puck," Perlini says. "Stromer, he was more skill and finesse. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good two-way player. But Bennett has grit to his game."

Bennett, who was top 2015 draft prospect Connor McDavid's left wing in minor midget with the Toronto Marlboros, had a respectable start during his 16-year-old season as the Frontenacs had a promising start during coach Todd Gill's second season at the helm. Playing heavy minutes at a tender age put a strain on both he and Kingston after Christmas. It just barely squeaked into the playoffs, needing a win on the last day of the season to squeak in.

Thrown into deep end at 16

Throughout 2012-13, Bennett got an advanced education going up against three older centres who have all played NHL games as teens. The 67's Sean Monahan, now with the Calgary Flames; and the Oshawa Generals' then-tandem of Boone Jenner and Scott Laughton, who are part of the Columbus and Philadelphia organizations, were all in the East Division.

"To play against some unbelievable players and see how they compete, for sure that really helped," Bennett says. "It showed me that the strength part was an issue, going in the corners and winning draws. But that's part of being in the OHL with the differences in age."

Since Bennett was not in the world junior, it might seem intuitive to conclude that he was ripping up thinned-out OHL teams. To whatever extent that is true, it works both ways. The Frontenacs were thin up front over that span since Bennett's regular left wing, Tampa Bay Lightning pick Henri Ikonen, was with gold-medal-winning Team Finland, while third-year centre Ryan Kujawinski was also injured. Yet Bennett picked up the team while it was running with three lines. Bennett maintained chemistry with a rotating cast of wings — Watson, Sam Schutt, Robert Polesello, Corey Pawley — and kept putting up numbers. The extra icetime led to tweaking a muscle last Saturday vs. Barrie and withdrawing from the Prospects game.

"I was pretty upset about not getting to go," Bennett says. "I heard a lot about it from Kuj [Kujawinski] after he went last year, that's it's a great experience and a lot of fun."

Bennett's downtime should be short. He said he plans on being with the Frontenacs for their weekend road trip. His point streak
and the outside attention from being No. 1 on the CS list will be waiting.

"I honestly don't think it changes anything," Sam Bennett says. "It doesn't really matter until you see your name on the board at the draft."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.