Panthers' Bennett 'couldn't be happier' playing under Quenneville
Warm weather, golf, fishing, and, most importantly, the opportunity to play under three-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach Joel Quenneville: Consider Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett a fan of life in the Sunshine State.
"(Quenneville's) a coach that once he trusts you and believes in you, he'll put you in situations to succeed," Bennett told The Hockey News' Erin Brown. "He gives pointers here and there and advice. But he'll let you play hockey, too. It's been unbelievable, and I couldn't be happier with my time under 'Q.'"
The Calgary Flames flipped Bennett and a 2022 sixth-round selection to the Panthers in exchange for prospect Emil Heineman and a 2022 second-round pick at the trade deadline this past season.
The 25-year-old struggled to produce in his final 38 games with the Flames in 2020-21, registering just four goals and 12 points while averaging 13:27 of ice time per contest.
Bennett - the fourth overall pick in 2014 and the Flames' highest selection since relocating from Atlanta - hasn't topped 27 points in a season since notching 36 as a rookie in 2015-16. He's well aware his time with Calgary didn't pan out as expected.
"I knew I still had a lot more to give and more to show as a player. I thought I could do a lot more than what I was doing in Calgary," he said. "Sometimes that's all it takes - a little bit of a change, a GM and a coach that believe in you, and that's definitely what I got in Florida."
Bennett enjoyed a resurgence in 10 regular-season outings with the Panthers, posting 15 points while averaging a career-high 18:03 of ice time per game as their No. 2 center. He also saw time on Florida's top power-play unit and added five points in five playoff games.
"The opportunity alone was a ton," Bennett said. He added: "I got to play with some great players. They helped me as well. All that, put together with gaining confidence quickly, I think that was the recipe to have success early."
The Panthers rewarded Bennett handsomely for his late-season performance, inking him to a four-year deal reportedly worth $4.425 million annually earlier this offseason.
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