If you want to score in the NHL, going to the front of the net is a lot like finding gold at the end of the rainbow.
Jamie Benn figured that out early, and the 36-year-old has spent a career proving it.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the Cenral Saanich product became the first player from Greater Victoria to score 400 NHL goals, and just the second in Dallas Stars history to hit the mark.
The only other Star to ever do it is Mike Modano, widely regarded as the greatest American-born player of all time.
“I’ve got a long way to go,” Benn joked when asked about chasing Modano, speaking with Stars TV after Dallas’ 8-3 win.
Benn’s milestone came in game 1,196 of his career, putting him on the doorstep of 1,200 NHL games.
Within the Stars franchise record book, Benn sits second in goals (400), assists (560), and points (960). He has also played more games in a Dallas sweater than anyone else, suiting up 1,197 times for the club.
His scoring numbers tell one story, but his willingness to live in the heavy areas paints another.
Benn ranks fourth in franchise history with 883 penalty minutes, another reminder of the style that helped shape his career.
This season began with a setback.
Benn missed the first 19 games after suffering a collapsed lung during a pre-season game against the Minnesota Wild. Since returning on Nov. 18, he has collected four points in five games.
His hockey roots run deep in Greater Victoria.
Benn played minor hockey with the Peninsula Eagles, then suited up for the VIJHL’s Peninsula Panthers and the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies before heading to the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets.
He also attended Stelly’s Secondary School, long before becoming one of the most accomplished NHL players the province has ever produced.
His 960 NHL points are nearly 200 more than any active B.C.-born player in the NHL, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of Burnaby sitting closest at 764.
He is just 29 points shy of breaking into the top five all-time for B.C.-born players, with Paul Kariya of Vancouver holding the fifth spot at 989.