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headbaengers

Jun 6, 2025

★ —— ﹙HUNTER BENOIT ﹚ — CAREER BREAKDOWN.

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YOUTH YEARS (AGES 6 - 13)

CHERRY HILL COMETS (U8 - U10) | AGES 6 - 9 1990 - 1994

league: south jersey youth hockey league (SJYHL) position: forward (rotated all three, but always drifted left) coach: rick benoit (father, former ahl player) number: #27 highlights: hunter first touched the ice with skates at age 3, and was actively training with his father by age 5. he scored his very first goal on his own team's net, but celebrated anyway. very dramatic cellys, including sticking his tongue out. team mvp at age 9. someone should have told him that he wasn't allowed to hip check at this age group.

JERSEY SHORE TIDALWAVES (AA) | AGES 10 - 13 1994 - 1997

league: atlantic amateur hockey association (AAHA) position: left wing coach: jerry taylor number: #14 highlights: moved to AA level early due to speed and scoring talent. this was his first taste of traveling throughout the east coast. his first fight was at age 11 and he was suspended for one game. his dad made him apologize.. which he did. behind a juicebox and a smirk. he was given the role of alternate captain by 13.

TEEN YEARS & JUNIOR ENTRY (AGES 14 - 19)

SOUTH JERESEY ICE DOGS (AAA) | AGES 14 - 16 1997 - 2000

league: tier I elite hockey league (T1EHL) position: left wing coach: lou rinaldi number: #9 highlights: three inch growth spurt over the summer at 14, but still considered undersized. played high school hockey concurrently. hunter sustained his first serious injury at 15— a fractured wrist after being shoved into the boards, and he was forced to give up four games. he became captain during his final season at 16 and was scouted by multiple junior teams.

TRENTON TERRORS (JUNIOR A TIER II) | AGES 16 - 19 2000 - 2003

league: united states hockey league (USHL) position: left wing, first line coach: roy sanderson number: #82 highlights: invited to usa hockey select 17s development camp but got cut in the second round for "attitude issues". fan favorite and infamous for chirping entire benches at once. he maxed out at 5'11" when he was 18. alternate captain in his final year, playoff mvp. bottom tooth got knocked out. college scouts started poking around, but he had his eye on going straight to pro. ahl scouts showed interest but wanted more development. he ultimately caught the attention of the long beach krakens after scoring twice and instigating a scrum.

“explosive off the wing. slightly undersized but plays like he’s 6'3". can disappear behind defense then reappear to break ankles and score. needs to rein in the extracurriculars, but undeniable upside.” — mid-2003 recruiting notes from the long beach scouting staff

📁 PLAYER RECRUITMENT PROFILE — ECHL PACIFIC SCOUTING DIVISION. file no: 11-29-HBENOIT

power play goals: 6 game-winning goals: 4 fights recorded: 5 (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 DQ for removing helmet) suspensions: 2 (boarding; instigating)

“if you want a clean-cut player who sticks to systems and doesn’t rattle cages, move along. but if you want a kid who puts asses in seats and turns momentum with one shift, he’s your guy.” — coach roy sanderson, trenton terrors

SCOUTING NOTES. skating: high-end first step. agile, explosive laterally. can burn defense with quick edgework. shot: quick release on the wrist shot. sneaky snapshot off the rush. power still developing. puck skills: creative playmaker instincts, excels in broken plays. sloppy under pressure, but recovers fast. hockey iq: solid reads off the wing. needs to improve backchecking urgency. physical play: not afraid to chirp or physically engage. undersized for an enforcer, but fights above his weight class. big hit potential. may draw retaliation penalties. discipline: red flag. hot temper. reacts emotionally and seems to get tunnel vision when frustrated. must learn when to walk away. coaches say he's maturing, but trend continues. locker room: glue guy. locker room favorite with natural charisma. durability: took some hard hits this year and bounced back fast. high pain tolerance. missing second premolar. will play hurt if allowed. projection: echl starter, ahl potential with growth.

PRESENT & AHL ENTRY (AGES 20 - 24)

LONG BEACH KRAKENS (ECHL) | AGES 20 - 23 2003 - 2006

league: east coast hockey league (ECHL) position: left wing, first line coach: william sutton number: #82 highlights: the krakens scout attended three more games in a row, and hunter signed a minor league development contract with them later that summer. the west coast transition was easy for him— he grew up spending his summers on the jersey shore, on the water, bleaching his hair under the sun and chasing lifeguards. he might as well have lived here his entire life. and the fans immediate taking to him was more than he could have ever asked for. game one: one assist, one fight, one minor for boarding. game three: breakaway goal and chirped the entire opposing bench. game five: krako plushies started selling out after one was tossed to him and he kissed it on the jumbotron. he survived two fights and a puck to the face in his first ten games, and his "high-risk, high-reward" label was solidified. coach was happy. hunter still calls his mom before and after each game, and he still can't keep his tongue in his mouth during a celly. lost that infamous front tooth in his second season and deals with a lisp until he gets his replacement. alternate captain in his final year.

FORT LAUDERDALE FIREHAWKS (AHL) | AGES 23 - 24 2006 - 2007

league: american hockey league (AHL) position: left wing, third line / bump to line two when there's injuries coach: danny cardwell number: #82 highlights: hunter is coming off one hell of a season. he's been consistently productive, wildly entertaining, and wearing an "A". his speed and grit combo finally clicks into something sustainable and he starts showing more vision on the ice. not just crashing the net, but reading plays, setting them up, being the guy teammates trust to close out tight games. that summer, he signs a one-year two way contract with the fort lauderdale firehawks- nhl's houston wranglers affiliate team. he's invited to training camp, competes hard, accidentally calls the coach "bossman", and doesn't immediately get cut.. instead he makes the roster outright. goodbye video store ! he wonders if he's out of his depth the first time a 6'5" AHL veteran buries him into the boards, but proves himself when he scores a shorty and gets a standing ovation from a crowd that didn’t even know his name two months ago.

CONTRACT TERMS: $42,000 AHL salary $500/week ECHL fallback performance bonuses for games played, goals, and penalty minutes

headbaengers

Jun 3, 2025

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★ —— ﹙ MEET HUNTER BENOIT, THE BABY FACE OF THE PENALTY BOX. ﹚ by: stevie ramos, long beach pulse (march 2005)

if you’ve caught a long beach krakens game lately, you’ve probably seen number 82 flying down the left wing like he’s late for something important —— and if not, you’ve definitely seen him in the penalty box... hopefully not spitting out another tooth.

hunter benoit, 21, is in his rookie season with the krakens, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he plays: loud, fast, and with enough confidence to rattle the toughest goalie. listed at 5’11”, benoit is one of the smaller guys on the roster —— and one of the scrappiest.

"release the krakens." — unofficial fan slogan spray painted outside the locker room

the long beach krakens are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in long beach, california, competing in the echl’s pacific division. founded in 2000, the krakens play their home games at the shoreline arena, a converted events center just off ocean boulevard. their home jersey's are a black base with red and white trim, while their away jersey's are a red base with black and white trim, and they have a white alternate jersey. despite a rocky start as one of the first teams established during the echl's westward expansion, the team has gained a passionate following for their gritty, unpredictable play style, high penalty minutes, and love for their tentacle laden mascot— krako. their rivalries include the bakersfield scorchers, san diego seals, and california's weather as a whole.

hunter is the embodiment of "2000s older brother who taught you how to skateboard and then laughed when you fell, but also carried you home." other than his dad, who works as a head youth coach, he grew up in a girls world; he was just living in it. he has two younger sisters who he learned how to braid for... except he only learned a french plait. he's not even entirely aware that there's different types. but he can do it in approximately 90 seconds, while wearing the beaded charm bracelet the youngest made for him.

benoit is a product of youth hockey starting from the age of six and a house full of sisters. “i grew up braiding hair and dodging barbie dolls,” he says with a laugh. “you learn pretty early how to be tough without being mean.”

he's currently renting a mancave of an apartment with his teammate, marco "the brick" delvecchio (who once was suspended for beating up a mascot), eating off a paper plate over the sink, and driving a red 1997 jeep wrangler with hockey sticks poking out of the backseat.

he works at the local video store 2-3 weekdays post practice, and an occasional sunday afternoon. this schedule becomes a bit more unreliable during the season when he's doing back to back games with travel, and he's lucky he has a boss that's a hockey fan. his staff pick shelf is a chaotic mix of slap shot, coyote ugly, and i know what you did last summer. but the girls love him, and he gives a free bag of caramel corn to the ones he thinks are super cute or look like they just broke up with their boyfriend. regulars in general know him well. the kids love him, moms think he's sweet, and cinephiles hate him.

👤 puckbunnyxoxo69 ➤ ok so. i saw him at the video store and he recommended bring it on and then said “it’s like hockey but with more hair pulling.” ➤ he was chewing bubblegum. had a missing tooth. he wore a backwards hat. ➤ why did that do something to me.

👤 penaltyprincess88 ➤ i want to be his flipper. ➤ that’s all.

hunter is, overall, a fan favorite. captain marcus shields calls him "the most chaotic player on the roster, and somehow also the most beloved." this is a man that smells like axe, coughs like a toddler, says "sick" as a full sentence, and could get away with murder if the jury was 90% women and one golden retriever, by the way. the team affectionately calls him "beno". he knows the bar staff at his favorite joint, is friends with the bartender, flirts with the server, and owes the bouncer $20.

his favorite drink is cherry coke (maybe with a splash of rum), is bold enough to say he knows how to cook for someone who is constantly eating fast or gas station food, and guzzles light blue gatorade like he gets paid for it. he doesn't ever forget to say "ma'am" or "sir", and his music taste is all over the place. from outkast to metallica to eminem to sublime.. his mix cds are an adhd's wet dream. going from "stacy's mom" to "aerials" makes for an interesting drive.

he's a speed demon on the ice and his stature makes him more agile. yeah, he gets chirped for his size, but that's really the only thing they can trash him for. he never backs down from a fight (out of, perhaps, dumb bravery) and will 100% start one if he sees something he doesn't like.

a total softie outside of the rink. he'll help you move, hold your hand if you're scared, and give you a ride at any time of the day or night. not necessarily a jerk, but can accidentally hurt feelings by being too blunt, too aloof, or too honest. the media gets the brunt of it.. especially if he's just finished a game. he doesn't give a shit when talking to them. he's either leading the pack of the sassy man apocalypse or it sounds like it's his first time talking. it's either "yeah we got whacked, so last thing we wanna do is stand here talking to you guys" or, "yeah i mean uh... i dunno i mean—" unfortunately he will never be able to be media trained.

but he's a little more self aware than he lets on. there's a deep confliction about "making it", he has dreams of the nhl just like most guys in the sport. and he worries he might peak here, though he won't say it.

when asked what he wants out of his career and the future, benoit shrugs. “i mean, nhl would be sick, yeah. but if all i do is play my guts out, talk to some girls, and keep the fans happy? that’s not the worst life.”

headbaengers

Jun 1, 2025