To prevent ruffling any feathers, forward Justin Hryckowian planned to keep a low profile when the Dallas Stars first called him up. Captain Jamie Benn quickly explained that it wasn't necessary.
"When you gotta come play in the league you're obviously just not trying to f--k up or get in the way of anyone else," Hryckowian told theScore before Dallas' penultimate regular-season game. "But (Benn) kind of made that clear: Be yourself and enjoy it. It just makes the transition of playing so much easier. You can just play free and not think too much."
Right away, Benn made sure Hryckowian felt welcomed, inviting him to team functions like dinners on the road.
"Just an elite human," Hryckowian added. "So humble. Doesn't speak too much. Not a guy who talks your ear off, but loves to hang out with the guys and lead by example. Such a great guy, very generous."
Benn's guidance has worked wonders for Hryckowian, who has blossomed into one of Dallas' latest developmental success stories. An undrafted college free agent out of Northeastern in 2024, the 25-year-old flourished for the Stars in his first full NHL season, registering 14 goals and 30 points in 81 games in 2025-26 while posting strong defensive metrics and playing a vital penalty-kill role.
Hryckowian has also been an effective pest, notably getting the oft-disciplined Connor McDavid to throw punches back in March.
Encouraging Hryckowian to be his unapologetic self is the type of leadership the Stars organization will miss whenever Benn decides to hang up his skates. While Alex Ovechkin's impending retirement decision has garnered league-wide attention, Benn also has yet to declare whether this campaign will be his last. The 36-year-old signed a one-year, $1-million deal (plus incentives) last offseason to stay in Dallas when he easily could've fetched more money on the open market. This may be it for him.
At his peak, Benn was a premier power forward and one of the league's top offensive producers. From 2013-14 to 2017-18, he racked up 403 points in 404 games, third among NHLers over that span behind only Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane. Benn won the Art Ross Trophy with 87 points in 2014-15 when NHL scoring was near its lowest of the salary-cap era.
Although Benn hasn't been that dominant player for quite some time, he's remained an effective depth contributor into the twilight of his career. After missing the first 19 games of the season with a collapsed lung, Benn finished 2025-26 with 15 goals and 36 points in 60 appearances while playing a third-line role. His 2.4 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five led all Stars skaters.
"He's gotten a little older. I haven't seen any grays in his hair yet," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan quipped when reflecting on how Benn has changed over the years. Gulutzan, who coached Dallas from 2011-13 during Benn's early NHL days and returned in 2025, added, "I watch him today, and it passed through my mind, he's still flying around. He still moves out there.
"When I had Jamie (12) years ago, he was our best player, a young guy. You know what, he's still that player, he still has that ability, but just his leadership. If you left somebody for (12 years) and came back, you'd be very proud to see what they've become, and that's Jamie. He's a great leader, he's an ultimate team guy, and I'm saying that on and off the ice with his teammates and coaching staff. All he wants to do is win. He embodies everything you want in a captain."
Transitioning from once being the franchise's go-to guy to embracing a bottom-six role requires a certain level of humility that not every professional athlete possesses. But Benn has done so without any fuss.
"He's so selfless," Hryckowian said. "Never makes it about himself. He'll play any role, any job."
Benn is the definition of a throwback. He has never hesitated to drop the gloves in defense of his teammates, which can't be said of every NHL captain. Over the years, he's tangled with some of the league's toughest customers, fighting Adam Lowry, Luke Schenn, Nikita Zadorov, Nick Foligno, Corey Perry, Pat Maroon, David Backes, Dustin Byfuglien, and Jarome Iginla, among others. Benn's also one of just four players remaining in the league who don't wear a visor.
"It's fun to see the captain (fight)," Stars forward Mikko Rantanen said. "It for sure impresses the other guys."
Benn has spent his entire 17-year career in Dallas, wearing the "C" for 13 of them. He's amassed 992 points in 1,252 regular-season games and entered the 2026 postseason with 80 points in 120 career playoff contests. His accolades include two first-team All-Star honors and one second-team All-Star nod, further solidifying his place among the franchise's greats.
"Big time legacy in Dallas. His number is going to the rafters, no doubt," Rantanen said. "Long time he's played here, and he's always been successful. Great human being. We're going to miss him when it's time, but hopefully not yet."
Internationally, Benn has won an Olympic gold medal while representing Canada at the 2014 Games. The Victoria, British Columbia, native scored a pair of goals in six contests, including the game-winner in a 1-0 semifinal victory over the United States.
The only thing missing from Benn's resume is a Stanley Cup ring.
He came excruciatingly close in the 2020 bubble, leading the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Benn was a catalyst for Dallas that postseason, ranking third on the team with 19 points in 27 contests.
However, heartbreak has continued to haunt Benn and the Stars, who have fallen in the Western Conference Final in each of the last three seasons.
Dallas is once again a Stanley Cup favorite, finishing second in the Western Conference with 112 points this season. Its road back to the conference finals won't be easy, though. Due to the NHL's highly scrutinized playoff format, the Stars face the Minnesota Wild, the No. 3 team in the conference, in Round 1. They're in an early hole after a 6-1 loss in Game 1. If Dallas advances, a likely Round 2 matchup looms against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
Going through an incredibly difficult playoff path to win his first Cup would be fitting for Benn - this is a player who's had nothing handed to him. A late bloomer, Benn wasn't taken in his WHL draft year. He had to grind his way from Jr. B to Jr. A before the Stars selected him in the fifth round (129th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft.
The hope for Dallas is that Benn's potential swan song can provide enough extra fuel to push them through the Central Division gauntlet and into the promised land. At the very least, it's inspiring his teammates.
"We all know all he wants to do is win," Hryckowian said. "That's definitely an extra piece of motivation."
