Sam Bennett riding high as he returns to Saddledome to face Flames for first time
Sam Bennett is finally living up to the high expectations the Flames had for him when they drafted him in 2014.
The only problem is he's doing it as a member of the Florida Panthers, who were defeated by the Flames 5-1 Tuesday night.
It was Bennett's first game against his former team and he scored the only Panther goal.
That first game was originally supposed to happen Jan. 4, but didn't because he got suspended.
There was no doubt Tuesday was a big night for Bennett, who was the Flames' fourth pick in the first round of the 2014 NHL draft – their highest draft pick ever.
"It's definitely different coming into the away dressing room," Bennett said, "but you know it's a cool feeling (coming back to Calgary).
"I had a lot of great memories in this building," he added, "and I was here for a long time, so it's pretty cool to be back here again."
Bennett's Calgary career started with all kinds of promise. In his rookie season, he scored 18 goals and added 18 assists and played with the truculence that team president Brian Burke said would be a trademark of the team.
Sam Bennett celebrates as a member of the Flames
But that ended up being Bennett's best season with the Flames.
He had bouts of inconsistency and the team just could never find the proper fit for him. That led to Bennett eventually requesting a trade, and the Flames dealing him to the Panthers in 2021 for a second round pick in 2022 and prospect Emil Heineman.
And a funny thing happened. The moment he arrived in Florida, things clicked.
"I was given that opportunity to succeed," he said. "They were playing me a lot, putting me in a lot of big role positions and then it was up to me to take advantage of it… so yeah, I've enjoyed every minute of my change of scenery, that's for sure."
Florida has been the perfect fit for Bennett. He's playing top minutes and in 39 games, has scored 21 goals and chipped in with 17 assists.
Bennett's former teammates area happy for his success. They just don't want him to have too much of it against them.
"It's great," Johnny Gaudreau said Tuesday. "You know, he had a fresh new start in Florida and he's playing well, so good for him.
"Like you said, I was pretty close with him the past seven, eight years we played together, so it's going to be fun to play against him (Tuesday)."
Gaudreau had four assists Tuesday, Sean Monahan scored twice, and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and assist in the Flames' victory.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.