Matthew Beniers

Center

Univ. of Michigan/NCAA

Height: 6’1″/ Weight: 174 lbs.

Size/Strength      Good
Skating       Excellent
Shot/Scoring       Great
Puckhandling      Great
Physical Play       Great
Offensive Play       Great
Defensive Play       Great
Hockey Sense        Excellent
Competitiveness    Excellent

Strengths

1. A Coach’s favorite due to his elite competitiveness and hockey sense
2. Doesn’t do anything flashy, but keeps on producing whenever he is playing with the best players in his age class
3.  Explosive skater with strong edgework and mobility

Area’s for Improvement

1. Doesn’t have any elite level physical tools
2. Doesn’t have that wow factor about him

Scouting Report:

Matthew Beniers was the best draft-eligible forward on the USA-National Development Team and was second on the USA developmental teams scoring in 2019-20. Playing on a line with Kent Johnson, another 2021 draft-eligible player, playing for the University of Michigan, Beniers tallied 6 points in 8 games and provided great two-way play. Beniers has a very high hockey IQ and uses that high IQ to finish and set up his teammates. He is also a responsible 200-foot player, who breaks up attacking plays, and fights to take pucks back. Beniers has great first-step quickness and is deceptively quick coupled with a great shot and quick release. Matthew Beniers is a coach’s dream and a fan favorite because he plays hard every shift and has very few holes in his game. The 2021 Draft is very unpredictable; for that reason, Beniers may be a top 5 pick because, at the very least, the team knows what to expect from him.

Skill:

2nd Line Center with the ability to play on the top line if he is playing another star player.

Style Comparison: Ryan Kesler

NHL Potential: 2nd Line Two-Way Center

Season	League	Team	GP	G	PTS
2018-19	USHL	USNTDP Juniors	33	11	31
2019-20	USDP	U.S. National U18 Team	44	18	41
2020-21	NCAA	Univ. of Michigan	8	3	6