Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Shoot: R
Born: 19 Jan 1950, Cranston RI
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Philadelphia | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Bennett Didn't Think It Was Funny • by Frank Bertucci • The Hockey Spectator • January 12, 1973
Not only was the Miami Screaming Eagles franchise a joke, it turns out some of its draft selections were too, like John Bennett. "I was playing in a league for college players in Culver City, California, last summer when Les Patrick came in," Bennett relates. "He saw me working out and asked me why I was there. He told me he drafted me for Miami as a joke." John Bennett wasn't laughing though, and he wound up with the Blazers. "I went to the Blazers' tryout camp in Roanoke, Virginia. That wasn't much different than college. But when I went to Sherbrooke to workout with the pros, I knew the difference." But he worked hard enough to earn a spot on the original Blazers roster, and he's been with the team all season, except for a two week visit to Roanoke and the Eastern Hockey League. He was recalled in mid-december when John McKenzie left the team due to the death of his father. "The travel was brutal in the Eastern League," says Bennett. "We had a 13-hour bus trip from Roanoke to St. Petersburg, Florida, and had to play a game that night. I was disappointed when I was first sent down, but I had to give it a chance." The Bennetts of Cranston, Rhode Island, may be America's premier hockey family. Harvey, John's father, spent some time in goal for the Boston Bruins. John's older brother Curt is with the Atlanta Flames, following stints with the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. And Harvey Jr. is at Boston College. John joined the Blazers after graduating from Brown University where he majored in anthropology. "I took anthropology because it was easier than economics," he admits. "It was pretty interesting though." "I wasn't really thinking about playing hockey professionally until the Blazers contacted me. I think I would have gone to Europe and played on a team over there this year. Some friends of mine are with a team in Switzerland and I probably would have joined them if it wasn't for the WHA." Bennett has been filling in on both wings wherever he's needed. After 29 games, he had 4 goals and 6 assists. He had 6 goals and 13 assists for Brown last season but had mononucleosis part of the year. Bennett signed two contracts with the Blazers before this season. One was a Major League pact, the other for a minor league. Les Patrick must be surprised at which contract is paying Bennett. |
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