Stars sign defenseman Jordie Benn to PTO

The Dallas Stars have signed veteran defenseman Jordie Benn to a professional tryout contract. He will play to earn an NHL contract during training camp and the preseason. Benn missed most of the 2022-23 season with injuries but played 12 NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and another 23 for their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

Benn is no youngster anymore at 36 years old but he can still be a relatively effective bottom-pairing option for many teams. 

The older brother of Stars’ captain Jamie Benn had the good fortune of playing alongside Jamie during the first six seasons of his NHL career from 2012-17. In a career spanning over a decade in the NHL, Jordie has played for the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild. In total he’s played 607 games between six different NHL teams.

Benn had to work his way up the professional hockey ladder to get to where he is now. He played his junior career with the Victoria Grizzlies, playing more than three seasons there. The fact that the BCHL isn’t exactly a breeding ground for NHL draftees and that Benn didn’t perform like he was too good for the league meant that he had to find a different way into the NHL than his star brother.

Eventually, the Stars took a chance on him after he played a season in the ECHL, then one in the Central Hockey League, then finally two seasons in the Stars’ organization for the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League. 

This past season was the first time since 2012-13 that Benn played in the AHL. His career now has a chance to come full circle with the opportunity to once again play alongside his brother in the NHL. There is a good chance the Stars will sign him and have him play in the AHL, at least to start the season.