“I think I’m proof that if you don’t stop working on your dream, anything is possible. »
The Toronto Maple Leafs have their share of star players. There’s Auston Matthews, first overall pick in 2016. John Tavares, first overall pick in 2009. Mitch Marner, fourth overall pick in 2015. William Nylander, eighth overall pick in 2014.
And on the other end of the spectrum, there is Simon Benoit, never drafted.
“I never had the easy path. I always went through the back door and got to where I am today. Sometimes I think the world doesn’t talk about it enough,” said the 25-year-old from Laval on Saturday morning after the Leafs’ optional morning practice at the Bell Centre.
So this is the perfect opportunity to talk about it.
Unlike many players who reach the National League, Simon Benoit often had to take detours to reach his dream. As a teenager, he played in midget AA rather than midget Espoir or midget AAA, he told LNH.com in 2021. The unexpected departure of a player within the midget Espoir team earned him a recall in during the season. It was there that he was noticed by the local AAA midget team, the Rousseau Royal of Laval-Montreal, which eventually allowed him to be drafted in the 8e tour by the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL.
Benoit was passed over twice in the NHL draft before receiving an invitation to camp with the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ farm club, in 2018. There, he was convincing enough to get a first one-season professional contract in the American League. The following year, he managed to obtain a second agreement, this time two-part, which extended over three years. Average annual salary in the minors, excluding signing bonuses: $61,700.
Again, he convinced the organization to offer him a first call-up. Then a second. Over the past three seasons, the defenseman has played 137 games with the Anaheim Ducks.
Last summer, he found himself without a contract.
It’s never fun to spend the summer without a contract. It took a while before I signed, but I think that in life, nothing happens for nothing.
Simon Benoit
He finally found a buyer with the Leafs, who offered him a one-year, two-way deal. And he started the campaign in the American League, where he played two games before being recalled by the Toronto club.
PHOTO MATT SLOCUM, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Simon Benoit
This season, he played 57 games with the Leafs. And a week ago, on March 30, he signed his first one-way contract in the National League. Three years at an annual salary of $1.35 million.
Perseverance, you say?
“If I can be an inspiration to young people who think their dream is over because they’ve been cut off from some category… I think I’m proof that if you don’t stop working on your dream, everything is possible. […] I am very happy that Toronto trusted me and wanted me to be part of their organization for the next three years. »
Lots of flowers
Over the years, through all the moments of adversity and uncertainty, Simon Benoit has “never stopped believing in [lui] “. “I always said to myself: we roll up our sleeves and we continue. »
I am a player who always gives 120%, who is never easy to face. It’s part of my personality, and it’s this relentlessness, over all these years, that has made the player I am today.
Simon Benoit
It doesn’t take Papineau any thought to understand that he is very popular with the Leafs. All it took was one question from head coach Sheldon Keefe on Saturday morning. Keefe launched into a long monologue about his defenseman’s play first, then his “great” personality.
“He works extremely hard. He is very easy to coach. He wants to become better. He’s a great addition to our group. It was a tough start for him because he had to go play in the minors, deal with injuries and all that, but you couldn’t ask for better in the way he dealt with it. »
Same story with veteran John Tavares, who listed Benoit’s qualities without any hesitation.
“He’s been phenomenal since he’s been with us. […] He believes in himself, he pushes himself to make an impact every time he gets the opportunity. We are very happy for him and he is really an important part of our group. »
” I want to win “
Simon Benoit may be relieved to have put his signature at the bottom of a new three-year agreement, but there is no question of him putting his foot on the brake pedal. It’s just not in his nature.
“I want to show that I should be in the lineup for the first game [des séries]. I want them to want me in this match. »
“Once you get their trust, you can’t just rest on your laurels. You have to continue to work, to prove that you have your place. […] I have expectations of myself, I want to win and I want to do everything to win. »
It’s clear ?
Read “Guhle and Xhekaj out, Barron recalled”