Bennett surprised with Flames trade: “I loved the team, I loved the players”
Sam Bennett asked to be moved, but that didn’t stop the former Calgary Flames forward from being surprised when he was eventually optioned to the Florida Panthers at the 2021 NHL trade deadline.
Bennett, a guest on the Eric Francis Show on Sportsnet 960 on Monday, said the move from chilly Calgary to sunny Florida caught him off guard after the Flames brought in head coach Darryl Sutter, despite the fact he previously had requested a trade away from the club.
“When I was playing under Darryl, I loved it,” Bennett told Francis. “I really liked playing for him. He was giving me a lot more opportunity, and I was really happy actually playing under him. I thought things were turning around for me for sure. I didn’t think I was going to get traded at the deadline after Darryl came in.
“I knew there was still a chance, but it seemed like I wasn’t going to.”
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He did.
And he’s flourished in the Sunshine State.
Bennett struggled to find consistency throughout his tenure as a member of the Flames and would routinely bounce around on the wing, both on the left and right, in Calgary’s bottom-six. He’d get a rare audition down the middle, from time to time, but those experiments were short lived.
Now a fixture on Florida’s second line — down the middle and flanked by Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair — the Holland Landing, Ontario product has absolutely flourished.
Bennett, after amassing just 140 points (67 goals, 73 assists) in 402 skates with Calgary, has 38 points (21 goals, 17 assists) in 39 games with the Panthers — including 15 goals in 29 games this season.
“It was tough,” said Bennett, who had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 15 games under Sutter before changing addresses.
“I mean, obviously, I enjoyed my time in Calgary. I loved the team; I loved the players. The hardest part of being traded was not seeing the guys every day. I met so many good people in Calgary and friends I still stay in contact with today, whether it’s players, trainers or just good people in Calgary. That’s the tough part of the business; is that it is a business.
“At the end of the day, you have to look out for yourself and do what’s best for you.”
Things just didn’t click in Calgary. Clearly, it’s working with the Cats.
But why didn’t it work with the team that made Bennett the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft?
“That’s kind of a tough question,” said Bennett, who amassed 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 30 games over parts of four playoff appearances with Calgary — widely regarded as his best runs with the group.
“There’s a lot of factors. I think after a certain amount of time, I just got put in a role and never really got the opportunity to succeed in a top-six role, where I’m playing right now. I kind of got put in that position, and that’s what I was stuck with. Sometimes that happens, and that’s just the way it is, and you need a fresh start.”
His old start and fresh start will collide Tuesday.
Bennett will face his friends for the first time on Tuesday at the Saddledome.
From Bennett, past teammates, and fans who always appreciated the hard-working nature of Bennett’s approach but struggled with the lack of production, and opportunity, of the organization’s highest-ever draft pick, it’s sure to bring out a wide range of emotions.
“It’s going to be exciting,” said Bennett, who remains close with Noah Hanifin, Matthew Tkachuk, and Johnny Gaudreau, among a host of a half-dozen he actually sat down to dinner with when the Flames were in Sunrise last week.
“Definitely going to feel a little weird going back to the Saddledome and going into the away dressing room this time. Definitely excited. It’s a game I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I can’t wait to get out there.
“I’m not really too sure what to expect. Obviously, it would’ve been nice to play in front of a sold-out crowd. I don’t really know what to expect. I hope they’re just happy for me. I don’t really know what to expect, though.”
He can expect a video tribute, for starters. That’s already in the plans.
Probably a few playful jabs from his former teammates, too.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
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