2021 NWHL Draft Prospect Profile - Samantha Benoit
I will be providing prospect profiles for players who are both eligible to be selected in the NWHL Draft this upcoming week, and who I have some indication may be selected. Benoit attended the Free Agent Camp for the Connecticut Whale on June 12th, and as she has just graduated, she is eligible for the NWHL Entry Draft, not a general Free Agent contract at this time.
D Samantha Benoit, Norwich (NEHC – DIII)
Hometown: Bow, New Hampshire
Benoit is a tall, lanky, offensively minded defender that Norwich has been lucky to have on the back end. She’s bigger than most defenders at her level and was easily one of the most productive defenders at the Division III level. She’s got a good shot from the point, and she’s extremely strong in her own end, especially in one on one battles and along the boards. Plus/minus is an immensely flawed stat, but when you are a +146 in 96 games, that is deserving of some attention. More of her offense comes from goal scoring, which is unusual for a defender, and that’s because she can sometimes get tunnel vision with the puck. Her biggest flaw is her skating. Her stride is a bit odd, and she doesn’t possess a ton of north/south speed. Her size, length, and reach all help her make up for that, but that only takes you so far. There is plenty of upside here, with the size and shot combination being a relative rarity in the women’s game, and her willingness to be physical would lend well to the professional level. But it will require the right situation and the right deployment to maximize that potential.
Benoit tallied 16 goals and 84 assists for 100 points in 96 career games with the Cadets. She had a career 6.18 shooting percentage, slightly above average for a defender, with her career high 6 goals her junior season maxing out a 9.5% shooting percentage. Only 6 of her 16 career goals came on the powerplay. In 96 career games, she racked up a ludicrous +146, and accumulated 86 minutes in penalties. She was a CCM/ACHA All-American 1st Team defender her sophomore and junior seasons (the teams were not selected this past season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic). She was selected to the NEHC All-Rookie Team her freshman season, and was 1st Team All-NEHC the following two seasons. She was also selected to the New England Hockey Writers’ All-New England Division III All-Star Team her sophomore and junior seasons.
