DENVER – Defenseman Mike Benning of the University of Denver hockey team has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers, the NHL club announced on Wednesday.
 
Benning led all DU defensemen this past season in scoring and ranked fourth in the country in goals (13) and tied for fifth in points (34) by a blueliner. He ranked tied for third overall on the team in both points and assists (21). The junior rear guard also ranked second overall on the squad with seven power-play goals and a plus-24 rating (tied) and was third with 101 shots.
 
The St. Albert, Alberta, native recorded 10 multi-point games during the 2022-23 campaign, the second-most on the squad. The NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year and a member of the All-NCHC First Team, Benning scored two goals in a game seven times during his career, including on three occasions this past season.
 
Among his multi-goal outings last year was on Feb. 24 at Western Michigan when he recorded a career-high four points with two goals and two assists. It was the first of two four-point games by Denver defenders during the campaign and the first by a Pioneer blueliner since Ian Mitchell on Jan. 19, 2019 against Omaha (1g/3a).
 
A 2022-23 All-American (Second Team) and a Denver nominee for the Hobey Baker Award, Benning was twice named NCHC Player of the Month in 2022-23, earning the honor in December (3g/7a) and February (5g/4a). He led all conference players with 10 points in December—the most he had ever produced in a month—and had four multi-point efforts in six games.
 
Benning recorded a career-long, nine-game point streak from Nov. 26, 2022 to Jan. 7, 2023 (5g/10a), which included tying a personal best with a five-game assist streak from Dec. 2-16, 2022 (7a). It was the longest point streak by a Denver defenseman since 2005. He also recorded a career-best, three-game goal streak from Feb. 17-24 (4g/2a).
 
In 2021-22, Benning registered career highs in scoring to help the Pioneers win their record-tying ninth national championship. He tallied 15 goals, 23 assists and 38 points and had five game-winning markers in 41 games during his sophomore campaign.
 
Benning registered five points (1g/4a) in four 2022 national tournament games, including posting a pair of assists in the Frozen Four semifinals against Michigan on April 7 and tallying the game-winning goal and picking up a helper in the national championship game on April 9 versus Minnesota State. He was named the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Tournament Team. Benning also was chosen as both the NCHC and National Player of the Month for March/April 2022 after totaling 11 points (2g/9a) in nine outings.
 
As a freshman in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, he recorded 11 points (3g/8a) in 21 games. He made his collegiate debut in the NCHC Pod in Omaha on Dec. 2, 2020 vs. Minnesota Duluth before recording his first career points in the ensuing two games, posting a pair of assists on Dec. 4 vs. North Dakota and recording three helpers on Dec. 5 vs. St. Cloud State. He scored his first NCAA goal and also added an assist on Dec. 10 against Miami.
 
Benning finishes his collegiate career ranked eighth among all defensemen in school history with 31 goals. He also added 52 assists for 83 points in 101 career games. He recorded his 50th career point with a goal on Oct. 8 against Maine and appeared in his 100th career contest at home on March 11 versus Miami in Game 2 of the NCHC Quarterfinals.
 
A member of the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team in each of his three years at Denver, Benning was named to the All-NCHC Second Team in 2021-22 and was also a finalist for the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year that season as well. He was named NCHC Defenseman of the Week five times in his career, including twice this past campaign on Jan. 2 and Feb. 27.
 
Benning was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round at No. 95 overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. His father, Brian, played two seasons for the Panthers from 1993-1995.
 
 
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