Former Yale Hockey Academy student-athlete Zach Benson has signed an NHL Entry Level Contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
The Chilliwack, BC forward spent two seasons in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) with the Yale U15 Prep team. During the 2018/19 season Benson would finish with 6 goals and 13 assists in 28 games. He would add four points in five playoff games as Yale captured the 2019 CSSHL U15 Prep Western Championship.
The following season Benson would lead the CSSHL U15 Prep division with 56 assists and 86 points while being named league MVP. The Winnipeg Ice would select Benson in the first round, 14th overall at the 2020 Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft.
Benson has played the last three seasons in the WHL with the Ice, tallying 181 points in 142 games. This season he would be named to the CHL Third All-Star Team and WHL (East) First All-Star Team. His 98 points in 60 games were a team high and third among all WHL Skaters. He would also represent Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, tallying seven points in five games as Canada captured gold.
The Sabres selected Benson in the first round, 13th overall at the 2023 NHL Draft.