Penticton Vees alum Beau Bennett and the Pittsburgh Penguins won the 2016 Stanley Cup Sunday night, beating the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game Six at the SAP Center. With Pittsburgh winning last night, that’s the second straight season a Vees’ alum has won the Cup, as Duncan Keith and the Chicago Blackhawks won in 2015.
Bennett played in only 33 regular season games this year due to injury but picked up six goals and 12 points; he also played in one playoff game. The California native has played in 129 games with the Penguins over four seasons, collecting 16 goals and 45 points.
Bennett played with the Vees in 2009-2010, leading the team and tying for a share of the BCHL scoring title with 41 goals and 120 points in just 56 games. That June the Penguins selected Bennett in the first round, 20th overall, in the 2010 NHL Draft. Before turning pro, Bennett played two seasons of college hockey at Denver University.
Fellow BCHL alum Justin Schultz was in Pittsburgh’s line-up on the blue-line. Schultz played for his hometown West Kelowna Warriors from 2007-2009. In total, seven former Canadian Junior Hockey League alumni were on Pittsburgh’s roster and staff.
