The Beau Bennett Origins [2/2]

[Datools 7]

It all started with a pair of roller blades...

 

As a young man learning the game in the streets of Gardena, California, Beau Bennett grew up playing the game the mean way. 

It's hard to tell how his pretty face was left un-scarred during these formative years. Making the transition to ice hockey at 14 was a seamless transition which landed and easy roster spot with Penticton's British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) team, the Penticton Vees. While only a rookie, Bennett was placed on the top forward line alongside team captain Denver Manderson at center and Alex Szczechura at left wing. It cemented his belief his true identity as a bonafide scoring right wingers. Bennett had an incredibly strong start to his season before being named to represent his country at the World Junior A Challenge. Bennett returned to Penticton to record ten goals and ten assists in nine games. In December, he was named top forward at the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) prospects games in Winkler, Manitoba. In January, Bennett played in the BCHL All-Star Game. It was the start of a long career as a pure sniper. Towards the end of the season, due to an injury to the top line's centerman, Denver Manderson, Bennett was switched to center, a position he had never played. He flourished in the position, and in the final regular season game, he scored four points to tie Mark Zengerle for the league scoring title with 120 points. He had now become an extremely versatile forward who could move up and down the lineup.Though Bennett's career kept him moving around he remained a rock for any coaching staff. Bennett then went to college at the University of Denver, Bennett played 37 games for the Pioneers ice hockey team and played through a couple of injuries that have been superficially pushing him down in the draft rankings. 

 

Bennett graduated from Valley Christian High School in Cerritos, California. He is the son of Kirk and Louanna Bennett. He also has three siblings: Wade, Shane and Bailey.

Bennett's nickname is "Sunshine" after the Remember the Titans character from the same state.

In order to be allowed to play hockey, Bennett's parents made him learn to play an instrument. Bennett chose piano, which he played from the age of 8 to 13.

 

 

Now most people aren't aware of this but Beau is an avid piano player. “He was fantastic,” his coach said. “I don’t remember what he played, but I do remember it was pretty good.” Before a road the team had a meal at the hotel. On his way out, Beau spotted an open piano in the lobby, which to him was as attractive as an open net at a hockey rink. Bennett sat down and began playing, and the coaching staff stopped to listen.  Bennett, whose musical tastes lean more toward alternative rock than classical, might not be in position to play hockey — and the piano — were it not for a pledge he made to his parents years ago.

 

He and his three siblings — Wade, 26; Shane, 22; and Bailey, 18 — have all played hockey, but not before they promised their parents, Kirk and Louanna, that they would also take up a more artistic hobby. “We could tell they were athletes,” Kirk Bennett said recently, “but we wanted them to be well rounded.” Wade, a former defenseman, played drums, piano and guitar because, Beau said, “he had problems sticking with something.” Shane, a forward on the University of Denver’s club hockey team and the sibling Beau calls “the science nerd,” became a voracious reader. Bailey, a forward for a junior women’s team in New Hampshire, picked dance and the piano.

 

“It was funny that we all kind of chose different things,” Bennett said. He started in roller hockey, took up piano at age 8 in exchange for playing ice hockey and admits to being less than enthusiastic about taking lessons. But he stuck with them until he was 13, by which time he could read music and teach himself songs.

That could have been the end of the story, but Bennett liked playing piano. 

 

“I need to get a lot better come September,” Bennett said. “That’s going to be a big focus, just trying to get my conditioning up and being ready to play with the bigger guys.” Despite the lofty expectations for Bennett, his goal for the remainder of the summer, like all of the other prospects at this year’s camp, is mainly to work on his conditioning. 

For fans, it means they may soon be able to enjoy Bennett’s renowned creativity with the puck. “I think just keeping the game fun, that’s part of it,” Bennett said of his unique style. “Playing roller hockey definitely helps. You definitely have to be more creative, (there are) no checks, so it’s harder to get to the net and stuff like that.” Bennett says he is not specifically preparing to play with one of the VHLM team, though. “I think just focusing on my training first and foremost and if I ever get that chance, then hopefully I’ll be ready,” he said.

 

“I felt awesome. I felt I was ready for the season and got off to a way better start than I did my freshman year, just knowing more of the ropes and how college how works,” Bennett said. “I think I was ready for the season but it’s just something that happens like this. It’s unfortunate but in the grand scheme of life it’s not that big of a deal.” Bennett’s rehabilitation on his surgically repaired wrist though has gone well, and he will continue to train in California for the summer leading up to training camp in September. A lot of Bennett’s offseason has been spent in the weight room with new trainer TR Goodman as he’s been adding muscle and better preparing his conditioning for the transition to the pros. It shows, as Bennett has gotten his weight up to 207 pounds – more than 30 pounds more than what he weighed when he started college.

 

 

[Big Mac 310]

Review: Not many major problems and yes there are some minor ones here and there. While some parts of the biography feel dry, and that’s probably to having to write 1000 words. The quotes definetely help it to be more fun. It would be nice to line out the parts of your life, and overall it was a great biography. Maybe throw a picture here and there. 9.3/10 would recommend and throw it at someone for trial and error. Great start, and I hope you can make some more quality articles.

[Kekzkrieg 160]

Review: Pretty neat take on his background, He could probably be the next Billy Joel if he wanted to.  The quotes regarding his family, friends and college life adds a nice personal touch to the bio and the history of injuries and let downs of his freshman year makes him sounds more human than some other bios I've seen. My only critique is just adding another picture of say when he was playing in college or working out to get to put on that weight you were saying from his training or even him playing the piano. Overall, well written and look forward to reading more on him!