Simon Benoit

Simon Benoit
Born (1998-09-19) September 19, 1998 (age 26)
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Toronto Maple Leafs
Anaheim Ducks
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2018–present

Simon Benoit (born September 19, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

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Benoit played as a youth Ligue de hockey M18 AAA du Québec (LHMU18AAA) with Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal before he was drafted by the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in the eighth round, 129th overall, of the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft.[1]

Benoit with the Anaheim Ducks in 2023

Benoit played three seasons in the QMJHL with the Cataractes before he was signed as an undrafted free agent to a one-year contract with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL), the primary affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks on September 25, 2018.[2] In his first professional year with the Gulls in the 2018–19 season, Benoit impressed by leading the Gulls in Plus/Minus with +16 and collecting 2 goals and 16 points through 65 regular season games. On March 8, 2019, he was signed by the Ducks to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2019–20 season.[3]

During the 2020–21 season, while in his third year with the San Diego Gulls and adding dependable defensive play on the blueline, Benoit was recalled by the Ducks to make his NHL debut on April 29, 2021.[4] While appearing on the Ducks third defensive pairing, Benoit went scoreless with 12 minutes time on ice in a 3–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.[5] In the following 2021–22 season, on October 28, 2021, Benoit scored his first NHL goal in his eighth game with the Ducks, a game tying goal, against the Buffalo Sabres in a 4–3 OT loss.[6] Benoit played his first full season with the Ducks during the 2021–22 season.[7]

Having played five seasons within the Anaheim Ducks organization, as a pending restricted free agent Benoit was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team and was released as a unrestricted free agent.[8] He was signed on August 28, 2023 to a one-year, $775,000 contract by the Toronto Maple Leafs.[9] Benoit failed to the make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers. After going unclaimed, Benoit was assigned to the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.[10] After Timothy Liljegren was injured, Benoit was recalled by the Maple Leafs on November 4.[11] He made his debut with the Maple Leafs in a 6–5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 6.[12] After 54 games and leading the Leafs in hits with 205 at that juncture in the season, Benoit was rewarded with a three-year extension with the club worth an average value of $1.35 million per year.[13]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal QMAAA 42 3 11 14 20 4 0 2 2 2
2015–16 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 55 1 2 3 22 2 0 0 0 0
2016–17 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 64 2 10 12 47 6 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 63 5 23 28 67 — — — — —
2018–19 San Diego Gulls AHL 65 2 14 16 33 16 0 3 3 6
2019–20 San Diego Gulls AHL 56 4 15 19 39 — — — — —
2020–21 San Diego Gulls AHL 38 1 7 8 32 3 0 1 1 0
2020–21 Anaheim Ducks NHL 6 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2021–22 San Diego Gulls AHL 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
2021–22 Anaheim Ducks NHL 53 1 4 5 22 — — — — —
2022–23 Anaheim Ducks NHL 78 3 7 10 60 — — — — —
2023–24 Toronto Marlies AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2023–24 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 64 1 4 5 56 7 0 0 0 4
NHL totals 201 5 15 20 140 7 0 0 0 4

References

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  1. ^ Lepage, Guillaume (April 30, 2021). "Ducks: Simon Benoit n'est pas rassasié" [Ducks: Simon Benoit is not satisfied]. NHL.com (in French). Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "Un contrat de la LAH pour Simon Benoit" [AHL contract for Simon Benoit]. TVA Sports (in French). QMI. September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  3. ^ "Ducks sign Simon Benoit". Anaheim Ducks. March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  4. ^ "Ducks recall Zegras, Benoit from San Diego". Anaheim Ducks. April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  5. ^ "Ducks defeat Kings 3-2". ESPN. April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  6. ^ "Rasmus Asplund's 2nd goal in OT puts Sabres past Ducks 4-3". ESPN. Associated Press. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  7. ^ Kloke, Joshua (October 5, 2023). "Meet Simon Benoit, the defenceman the Maple Leafs could end up needing". The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Ducks extend qualifying offers to five restricted free agents". Anaheim Ducks. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "Maple Leafs add free-agent Simon Benoit to bolster defence". Sportsnet. August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Barden, Nick (October 8, 2023). "Maple Leafs Waive Martin Jones and Others to Clear Cap Space Ahead of NHL Regular Season Roster Submission Deadline". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Maple Leafs place Timothy Liljegren on LTIR, recall Simon Benoit, Maxime Lajoie". Sportsnet. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  12. ^ Clipperton, Joshua (November 6, 2023). "Jarnkrok scores in OT as Maple Leafs pick up wild 6-5 win over Lightning". CP24. The Canadian Press. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  13. ^ Barden, Nick (29 March 2024). "Why the Maple Leafs Signed Simon Benoit to Three-Year, $4.05 Million Extension". The Hockey News. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
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