Leaders. When things are going well, they are usually the first ones to be praised. But when things start to go wrong, they are the first to be called out.
When the Dallas Stars were running the table in the NHL last season, posting a record of 50-23-9 and claiming the championship titles for both the Central Division and the regular season Western Conference, captain Jamie Benn was at the top of the credit due list.
The 27-year-old captain turned in another phenomenal year, which had a major impact on the team’s success. He had just completed his second consecutive 82-game season and posted a career-high 89 points, two more than he did the year before when he won the Art Ross Trophy.