Who is Matty Beniers? Everything you need to know about the Seattle Kraken rookie

Edmonton Oilers v Seattle Kraken
Matty Beniers drafted second overall by the Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers is a young ice hockey player who was born in the year 2002, in Hingham, Massachusetts. He started playing ice hockey at a young age and quickly showed talent for the sport.

Matty Beniers played junior hockey for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the United States Hockey League (USHL). During his freshman season for the Michigan Wolverines in the 2020-21 season, Beniers recorded 10 goals and 14 assists in 24 games. He led the conference in on-ice ratings with a +21, ranking him eighth nationally.

Matty Beniers had an outstanding freshman season, leading first-time NHL Draft-eligible NCAA players in goals, goals per game, and shots on goal per game. His 24 points ranked third in the league in freshmen scoring and fourth nationally.

He recorded his first career goal in his first game of the season and went on to record his first career hat-trick in a game against Arizona State on February 26th, 2021. He was subsequently named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week for the week ending March 1st.

On March 5th, he recorded his first career four-point game with one goal and three assists in a game against Minnesota. He was subsequently named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week for the week ending March 9th. Following the season, he was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and the College Hockey News All-Rookie Team.

Beniers had an outstanding sophomore season for the Michigan Wolverines in the 2021-22 season. He was the Big Ten Scoring Champion, recording 27 points in 20 conference games. He led Michigan in scoring with 20 goals and 23 assists for 43 points in 37 games.

Matty Beniers drafted second overall by the Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers entered the 2021 NHL Entry Draft as one of the consensus top prospects and was ultimately selected second overall by the Seattle Kraken, becoming the expansion team's first-ever draft selection.

He was uncertain whether he would turn professional or return to the University of Michigan for another year, but ultimately opted to sign, following discussions with his family, Kraken general manager Ron Francis, and new teammate Ryan Donato.

Matty Beniers has been a consistent contributor to his NHL team's offense, averaging nearly a point per game with 49 points in 69 games. With 19 goals and 30 assists, Beniers has shown versatility as a playmaker and a scorer, making him a valuable asset to any team.

Beniers is a talented young ice hockey player who has had an outstanding career so far. He has shown a great deal of promise both on and off the ice and is a player to watch for the future.

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