Jamie Benn has spent 18 seasons collecting points for the Dallas Stars. He will spend at least two more days waiting for the next one.
The Stars captain sits at 999 career NHL points, and the schedule has put the chase on hold. Dallas has no game Tuesday or Wednesday, so Benn's next opportunity comes Thursday at 7 p.m. Central, when the Winnipeg Jets visit American Airlines Center on a night the club has already set aside for its military and veterans appreciation event.
How he got to 999
Benn reached the edge of the milestone Saturday against San Jose. Late in the first period Roope Hintz found him in the slot, and Benn lifted a shot into the far corner, a goal that gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at 15:17 of a game the Stars went on to win 4-3, Dallas Sports Journal reported.
NHL statistics show 417 goals and 582 assists across 1,269 regular-season games, every one of them in a Dallas sweater. Dallas drafted him 129th overall in round five in 2007, and he has been captain every season since 2013-14.
The franchise's record book explains why the next point carries weight beyond a round number. According to NHL records, Mike Modano is the only player in Stars history, counting the Minnesota North Stars years, with more points for the club, finishing with 1,359. Neal Broten is third at 867, and Tyler Seguin, Benn's longtime teammate, is the closest active Star at 711.
A steadier role at 37
Benn is no longer the scorer who put up 87 points to win the 2014-15 scoring title and 89 the season after, and the club does not ask him to be.
He has three goals and four assists in 17 games this season, according to NHL.com, and he has picked up a point in four of his last five games after a slow start to the season.
Coach Glen Gulutzan, who was also behind the Dallas bench from 2011 to 2013, has kept Benn alongside Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Sports Journal reported. "I think Jamie's playing great hockey," Gulutzan said after the San Jose game. "Offensively, he's making plays and taking pucks down the ice."
Benn is playing this season on a one-year, $850,000 contract, down from $1 million in 2025-26. General manager Jim Nill has said Benn accepted less money to give the club more flexibility under the salary cap, the outlet reported.
The week ahead
The Stars come out of the break second in the Central with 22 points on a 10-5-2 record, and they have gone 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, according to NHL standings. Winnipeg arrives at 7-8-3 but on a three-game winning streak.
