Bennett, the fourth overall selection, may have been injured in the preseason; he last played against Vancouver on Sept. 26. Or he may have been hurt as far back as last season, which could explain why he couldn’t do a single pull-up at the NHL combine last spring.
“I guess, really, I wanted to play and I’d do anything to make the team and to play in the NHL this year,” Bennett told reporters Tuesday. “I guess maybe I should’ve come up sooner but I didn’t think it was that big of deal. I guess it is a bit bigger of a deal than I thought.”
It wasn’t a certainty that the 18-year-old Bennett would make the Flames and stick with them. He can play in nine games for the team before it has to decide whether to send him back to juniors. It is very unlikely he’ll receive that trial when he’s finally ready to play.
Bennett, who had 36 goals and 55 assists in 57 games last season with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, will also miss the World Juniors.
It’s a tough blow for the kid, but he has plenty of time to bounce back. In the meantime, here are some OHL highlights to whet your appetite, or introduce you to him if you’re not up on your prospects. Remember, he may have pulled off some of these moves while playing through an injury.
