Dallas Stars’ forward and team captain Jamie Benn underwent successful surgery for an injured core muscle on Thursday. It is expected to take six weeks for him to recover.
It was announced by the Dallas Stars’ general manager, Jim Nill, on Friday. “His operation,” Nill describes, “went as planned. His full recovery time is expected to be six weeks, putting him on schedule to be ready for the 2016-2017 season. Jamie will be re-evaluated after the six-week rehabilitation process, at which time his availability for the World Cup of Hockey will be determined.”
The World Cup of Hockey is set to begin on September 17th, and it’s unsure whether or not Benn will be able to lace up his skates for Team Canada. The international tournament has been the cause of much excitement around the hockey community after it was announced it would become a regular event every four years. While players take much pride in playing for their home countries, there is always the threat of injury that will leave general managers anxious for their star players. Thus, it will be expected that the re-evaluation process will be long and deliberate as Nill and the Stars ensure their captain is 100% healthy.
Benn, over the last few seasons, has proven himself to be a high-quality player and an even better captain. His success in the 2014-2015 season, which saw him collect an Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in overall scoring, was replicated in the 2015-2016 season. Although he fell short of winning back to back Art Ross Trophies, he did manage to score over a point per game for the second year in a row (89 points in 82 games). He duplicated that success in the playoffs, leading the Stars to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 15 points in 13 games.
Benn was drafted in the 5th round of the 2007 NHL Draft and made an impact immediately as a rookie, scoring 41 points in the 2009-2010 season. Since then his play has only improved, and as he enters his seventh season in the league, he is only 42 points away from reaching 500 for his career. He’s only 26 years old, so there is much to come in the future for this Star.
