When I went to watch the visiting Kelowna Rockets play the Vancouver Giants during the 2007-08 WHL season, I was excited at the opportunity to see two of the top draft-eligible defensemen for 2008 – Tyler Myers and Luke Schenn. It was impossible to miss either of them on the ice – Myers, a 6-7 behemoth, controlled the play with his rangy skating and incredible wingspan. Schenn was a physical specimen who made forwards think twice of dumping it in to his corner. However, I left the game that night with one Kelowna Rocket fresh in my memory, and it wasn’t either of the defensemen. Number 14 dominated with his size, skill, and offensive instincts.
I asked a question that night that was likely repeated by many amateur scouts that season:
“Who the heck is Jamie Benn?”