| Nathan Benoit | Mount St. Charles U18 | Independent Prep | L | D | 6’1″ | 185 | North Dakota | 2021 | Bow, NH | 2002 | 2020-2021: C |
PHL: Pandemic Hockey League, June 2021: Benoit was a calm steady influence on the blueline. His gap control was excellent and he ended line rushes early forcing poor decisions all game. He worked well as an outlet for his partner and playing on a hinge seemed to come naturally. We liked how he moved the puck quickly in transition and used his feet to join the rush as a late option. In the defensive zone he ended the cycle quickly and established his net front presence early.
USA Hockey Nationals U18, May 2021: Benoit is a tall, powerful, cerebral, two-way defenseman that plays with patience and executes very well. He is a puck manager that distributes the puck efficiently and accurately. In open ice, his stride is long and powerful as he can carry the puck up ice and break away from attackers creating easy breakouts and zone entries. He jumps on pucks in his own zone quickly and can evade pursuers then make smart puck decisions not forcing any turnovers. Nathan runs the top of the power play and uses misdirection to freeze attackers to open up passing and shot lanes. He loves to get his one-timer off and when he does it comes with a blast that nobody wants to get in front of. Benoit has an incredibly high IQ and processes the game so quickly as he is always in the right spot. When he defends, he is a real tough player to go to battle against as he uses his frame and a long stick to get in on players. He can make thunderous contact in open ice when the opportunity presents itself. In transition, he moves the puck quickly up ice or uses his partner very well. Benoit displayed stellar two-way skills and qualities as he was a top player of the week. GRADE: A
Mount vs Mount Showcase, December 2020: Simply, there is a lot to really like about Nathan’s game and none of it is the sexy stuff. He defends quickly, leading with his stick while keeping his hips and center of gravity low. During corner scrums, we did not notice him getting stuck along the walls or trapped on the high side of the puck. It honestly looked like he enjoyed blocking shots and he was very good at baiting the shooter into thinking the shooting lane was clear. Nathan used his partner very well in transition and was excellent at making indirect passes. He made a few nice hits in open ice, but he had an open ice beauty during the second period in game two on Thursday. Nathan is a strong, competitive, two-way defenseman who will have NHL eyes on him for the rest of the season.
New England Select 17 Camp, April 2019: Benoit just continues to improve his stock after a strong season in the NCDC and a great camp here in Attleboro. He has added a lot of size in the last season (looks near 6’1) and he consistently makes the right decisions both in his own end and offensively. He shows great poise with the puck and knows exactly how much time he has before he needs to get rid of it. His passes are sharp and regularly tape-to-tape with his forwards heading up the ice. Here his passing, especially outlet passes, were his greatest strength and he rarely missed. He also was not afraid to use his body and delivered solid checks on both sides of the red line. He likely opened some eyes with this performance for those who did not see him play in the USPHL. Grade: A-, National Camp Selection
USPHL: All Star Games: U16, U18 and NCDC, January 2019: Benoit is listed at 6 feet tall but he may have added additional size since his last measure. He is definitely stronger than we remember in the past and with that added size he uses a longer stick in order to influence the play both on offense and defense. He has the same nimble feet that he showed as a smaller player on the back end and his mobility is very good for a taller player. He has yet to fill out his frame and once he does he will be an effective physical presence. He is one of the younger players here but still stuck out because of his consistency and ability to move the puck using his feet. Grade: B+
Next Level Prospects, July 2017: Benoit falls on the slim side but he gets the most out of his frame. Very good at accepting the puck on passes largely because he is able to open his hips and adjust his body to meet the puck. He also finds ways to avoid contact by shifting off the train tracks when an opponent has him squared up. He is a good activator as well: able to jump into the play at a moment’s notice and change the pace of play when he cranks his legs up. We would surmise that there is more to the story here, but Benoit is worth another look during the regular season. Grade: B-
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images