Beau Bennett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beau Bennett
Bennett with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013
Born	(1991-11-27) November 27, 1991 (age 33) Gardena, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Forward
Shot	Right
Played for	Pittsburgh Penguins New Jersey Devils St. Louis Blues Dinamo Minsk
NHL Draft	20th overall, 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	2012–2020

Beau Daniel Bennett (born November 27, 1991) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a forward, which means he was one of the players who try to score goals.

Beau Bennett went to the University of Denver before starting his professional career in 2012. The Pittsburgh Penguins picked him in the first round of the 2010 NHL entry draft, making him the 20th player chosen overall. He was the highest-drafted player from California who also learned to play hockey there. Beau was also the first California-trained player to win the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016. However, his name was not carved on the Cup because he did not play enough games that season to meet the league's rules.

Beau Bennett's Hockey Journey

Starting in Minor Hockey

Beau Bennett began his hockey journey playing inline hockey, which is like ice hockey but played on rollerblades. Later, he switched to playing ice hockey full-time. He even played in the famous Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 2003 and 2004 with the Los Angeles Junior Kings.

Playing in Junior Leagues

In June 2009, Beau decided to play for the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). This league is for young players who are getting ready for college or professional hockey. Even though he was a rookie, he quickly became one of the team's best players. He played on the top scoring line with team captain Denver Manderson.

Beau had a fantastic start to his season. He was chosen to play for the United States in the 2009 World Junior A Challenge. He helped his team win a gold medal by scoring three goals and four points. When he returned to Penticton, he continued to play well, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists in just nine games. In December 2009, he was named the best forward at a special event for young hockey stars in Canada.

Towards the end of the 2009–10 season, Beau tried a new position. He usually played on the wing, but because of an injury to a teammate, he switched to center. He did great in this new role! In the last game of the regular season, he scored four points. This helped him tie for the league's top scorer with 120 points. He had 41 goals and 79 assists that season.

In the playoffs, his team, the Vees, faced a tough challenge against the Vernon Vipers. In one important game, Game 5, it went into triple overtime! Beau scored a goal to help tie the game. Then, he made an amazing play to set up the winning goal. He faked a shot, then passed the puck through his skates to his teammate, Denver Manderson. The goalie was completely fooled, and Manderson scored, giving the Vees a thrilling victory. Even though the Vees lost the next game and were eliminated, Beau's incredible play was remembered.

After the season, Beau Bennett was named the BCHL's Rookie of the Year. He also won awards for being the Penticton Vees' top scorer and their Rookie of the Year.

College Hockey Experience

In his first year at the University of Denver (2010–11), Beau played 37 games. He scored 25 points, with nine goals and 16 assists. He had several games where he scored two or more points. He also helped his team by blocking shots and making hits. However, he missed five games because of a knee injury.

In his second year (2011–12), Beau played only 10 games. He scored 13 points, with four goals and nine assists. Unfortunately, he hurt his wrist during practice and needed surgery. This injury made him miss the rest of the season. Even with the injury, he was recognized for his good grades and was named to the All-WCHA Academic Team.

On April 13, 2012, Beau signed a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished his college career with 38 points in 47 games.

Professional Hockey Career

On February 14, 2013, Beau Bennett was called up to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL. This is the top professional hockey league in North America. He played his first NHL game the next day against the Winnipeg Jets. On February 24, he scored his first NHL goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning. His good play helped him earn a spot in the Penguins' lineup for the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. He even scored a goal in his very first playoff game on May 1.

During the 2013–14 season, Beau faced another injury. He broke his wrist in a game in November 2013. He had surgery and returned to play four months later in March 2014. In his return game, he scored the winning goal for the Penguins!

On June 12, 2016, Beau Bennett made history. He became the first player from California, who also trained there, to win the Stanley Cup. He won it with the Penguins when they defeated the San Jose Sharks. He played 33 games for the Penguins that season, but only one playoff game because of injuries. Because he didn't play enough games, his name was not engraved on the Stanley Cup.

After winning the Cup, Beau was traded to the New Jersey Devils on June 25, 2016. He played one season with them.

As a free agent, Beau signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2017. He started the 2017–18 season playing for their minor league team, the Chicago Wolves, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played six games for the Blues but spent most of the season with the Wolves, where he had 57 points in 60 games.

In 2018, Beau decided to play hockey in Europe. He signed a one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk in Belarus, which is part of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He played five games there before his contract ended in September 2018.

Beau returned to North America and did not play for the rest of that season. On July 1, 2019, he signed a contract with the Arizona Coyotes. He played for their AHL team, the Tucson Roadrunners, in the 2019–20 season. On June 26, 2021, Beau Bennett announced that he was retiring from playing professional hockey.

Beau Bennett's Personal Life

Beau Bennett went to Valley Christian High School in Cerritos, California.

His nickname is "Sunshine." This nickname comes from a character in the movie Remember the Titans, who was also from California.

When Beau was younger, his parents made him learn to play a musical instrument if he wanted to play ice hockey. Beau chose the piano and played it from age 8 to 13.

Career Statistics

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the United States
World Junior A Challenge
Gold	2009 Summerside

Awards and Honors