| Bennett Schimek | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | R | F | 5’11” | 170 | Providence | 2022 | Mendota Heights, MN | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, June 2021: Bennett is a really creative one on one player. He can make guys miss and at younger ages he really had the ability to make defenders look ridiculous. There are times when he might turn the puck over more than what a professional coach wants, but his skills are there and you would hate to mute them.
USHL: Sioux City vs Fargo, March 2021: On the offensive side of the puck Schimek looked creative and explosive. He kept Fargo defenders off balance and used his lateral quickness create favorable gaps that other players on the ice couldn’t generate. His first smooth first touch allowed his one touch passes to hit his center support in stride and on the tape. As we’ve seen before he is a very dangerous player when he has time and space, although we would like to see him not try to beat defenders one on one.
USHL: Sioux City vs. Sioux Falls, November 2020: Schimek was impressive for Sioux City in this game showing his skill and creativity. He looked calm on the half wall during the powerplay, distributing the puck nicely with his teammates and finding lanes to get the puck to the net. Schimek was especially dangerous when he had some room to work with in the offensive zone and attacked the open ice when it was available. He showed his willingness to try guys one on one and was successful at times. Schimek also did a nice job helping his center win draws on a few occasions throughout the night. Overall, Schimek was a threat offensively for the Musketeers and looked calm when he had the puck on his stick. Grade: B+
NAPHL U16 Dixon Cup Playoffs, February 2020: Bennett has good size and is a solid skater with slick hands who makes things happen on every shift. He has quick hands with the ability to get the puck off his stick quickly. He is really effective on the cycle as he moves feet quickly and the puck and will get open for a give and go. He had a great weekend as he scored 9 goals and 11 assists as he was dominate, especially in the final game against a tough opponent. He will drive to the net and get in the dirty areas as he will take a hit to make the play. He works very well with his line mates as there constantly moving their feet and the puck.
U16: Notre Dame Shootout, December 2019: Schimek is a surgeon with the puck. He is so talented and has so much skill. His intelligence just enhances those traits so much more to the point where he was making plays at will at times in this showcase. He has so much patience and his skills allow him to hang on to the puck for so much longer than most of his peers. Great creativity and instincts and so much maturity. Excellent talent. Grade: A
Select 16’s USA Hockey National Camp, July 2019: Bennett finished with 14 points here, which placed him first in the camp in scoring. He is an extremely athletic player with speed, quickness and great edges. He is unique in his ability to get pucks to the net. He fired several home of his own, but also put his teammates in spots to score, while creating chaos around the net. He always had his head up and had a great sense on the offensive end. He buried wrist shots, scored on clever dekes, scored on a couple of rebounds and showed he could catch, shoot and finish. His play is tight and clever, as he found ways to jam, deke, roof, flip or toe drag to space to put pucks home. He is also a terrific passer, as he would push pace, stretch the defense wide and fire passes on the tape at the perfect moment. Bennett’s hands are smooth and quick as he pounced on every chance. He finished with eight goals and six assists overall. Lots of tools and a player that had a productive tournament. Was named to the Five Nations Team. College: Miami (Ohio) Grade: A-
NTDP Evaluation Camp Report, March 2019: Schimek came to camp after a highly productive season with Gentry but was somewhat quiet here offensively. He’s a skilled playmaker; slick stick and crafty passing which he assisted on a beautiful cross crease play in the first game. He scored a one-touch snap shot in the slot on day 3 but other than that didn’t generate a ton of chances. He shoots the puck with power and accuracy and he can make defenders miss in open ice with his quick stick and feet. He needs to elongate his strides as they are short and cut down his flat line speed and will need to be more assertive in the offensive zone particularly in traffic but the upside as a smart, nifty playmaker is there for sure. College: Miami-Ohio
Minnesota 2003 Rankings, March 2018: Probably not drawing as much attention as he would elsewhere, Bennett played the “other” wing on a line with University of Minnesota commits Chaz (03’) and Cruz (04’) Lucius. He has terrific puck skills and his unselfish nature came out in every view, waiting for line mates to find openings before sending crisp passes their way. Playing with a shooter isn’t always easy, but Bennett took it in stride and showed great compete in the challenging scrimmages we got to see.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images