Matt Beniers is one of the most sought-after hockey prospects in North America. College coaches have been banging at his door for more than a year now. That’s what happens when you are one of the top two or three uncommitted 2002-born players in the United States.
Beniers established himself as one of the top players in his age group while skating big minutes and in an important role as a freshman for Milton Academy last winter. He put up 11 goals and 16 assists in 23 games as the Mustangs earned a spot in the NEPSAC Elite 8 tournament.
His sensational skill, hockey sense and compete now have earned him a coveted spot with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for the next two seasons.
Beniers, a complete, two-way center from Milton, Mass., will spend the next two years of his prime development time honing his game in Plymouth, Mich. Having experienced all the prestigious program has to offer over the past month has been quite an eye-opener for Beniers, even if it has been a grind at times.
“I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far. I’ve gotten acclimated to skating every day, working out and getting my homework done … the shooting room and the workouts. The first week was tiring, but I’m really enjoying everything USA Hockey has to offer,” Beniers said.
His transition to living 800 miles away from home has been eased by the help of his mother, Christine.
“My mom moved out with me and my dad (Bob) is going to visit for games. My mom is there to help me along the way. I didn’t have to go through getting a billet like some of my teammates. Having home-cooked dinners from her gave me an advantage at the start,” said Beniers, who is joined by two fellow New Englanders — forward Brett Berard (East Greenwich, R.I.) and goaltender Drew Commesso (Norwood, Mass.) at the NTDP.
Another part of what makes the NTDP so special is the ability to practice, play with and play against many of the best players in the entire world.
“It’s awesome. Playing with all these new guys, seeing their skill and how they practice, and learning from them is really great. It’s cool to be a part of all these top players from around the world,” Beniers commented.
While the NTDP U-17 team’s season just got started, the squad already is starting to come together and make tremendous strides from its first game, a tough 6-2 loss to the Johnstown Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League.
“There’s less time than we were all used to. The first game was tough, but we’re getting used to playing as a team. Players are older, stronger and faster, so there is less space,” said Beniers, referring to the fact many of the junior teams the NTDP will face are littered with players three and four years older.
Beniers always has excelled at playing a 200-foot game and recovering pucks. He does so by being a good skater and having a strong work ethic. Despite not being the biggest player on the ice, he goes into the corners and fights below the dots to win puck battles.
“I try to make other people around me better. I try to make nice passes, but also shoot when I need to. I try to be the hardest worker on the ice. I pride myself in winning battles in the corner,” Beniers explained.
Ask just about any college coach or junior or pro scout who has watched Beniers play and one of the first things they will rave about is his compete level. It’s rare to find a player as skilled as Beniers who is willing to be responsible, work hard and do anything to win hockey games. His brother, Bobby, a collegiate hockey player at Williams, is a major contributor to that part of Matt’s game.
“Playing in the backyard with him — street hockey, shooting pucks, competitions, see who has the better shot — he’s helped me most with my compete,” Matt said. “How hard I want to win comes from him. He and I always had such great friendly competition.
“When I started at Milton, he was a great mentor with everything that was about to come,” added Matt, who also has a sister, Giana, who is a junior at Cornell.
As is the case with almost any budding star, Beniers is looking to become even faster. As players move up the ladder toward the NHL, skating takes an even greater premium.
“One area of my game that I’m trying to improve this year is my speed. Everyone is now faster. I’m trying to improve my speed so I can make more time and space. Getting faster will help my game a lot,” said Beniers.
Being one of the top players in the country at his age group has resulted in plenty of attention and adoration from college programs. Many programs have expressed interest or offered him scholarships or spots on the team. Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Northeastern and Providence are the programs that have been in the hunt the longest. When the time comes for Beniers to commit to a college, it almost certainly will be one of those schools.
“I’ve kind of taken some time off from this,” said Beniers of all the recruiting. “I’m looking for a college that I can develop at, but I also want to get a good education because I know there is life after hockey. I want to have the best of both worlds, because almost every school has that now. It’s going to be a tough decision.”
While there is certainly life after hockey, that likely won’t come right after college. With the track Beniers is on, he likely will be able to ply his trade at the game’s highest level someday.
As a late ’02, Beniers will have to wait to be picked until the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. However, when that day does come, it will be no shock if he’s selected in the first round.
He won’t be the only local talent whose name will be prominently mentioned as a top three round pick in 2021. St. Sebastian’s forward and Northeastern commit Jack Hughes (Westwood, Mass.) and Brunswick forward and Boston College commit Paul Davey (Greenwich, Mass.) are two other New Englanders who have set themselves apart from the competition. As 2003-born prospects, both Hughes and Davey will be considered for the NTDP next March.
