Ryan Benesch (born January 30, 1985) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

professional

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

player who plays for the

Albany FireWolves The Albany FireWolves are a professional box lacrosse team based in Albany, New York. They are members of the East Division of the National Lacrosse League that began play in the 2021-22 season at the MVP Arena. The team is owned by a group heade ...

in the

National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...

. Benesch has also played for the

Halifax Thunderbirds The Halifax Thunderbirds are a professional box lacrosse team in the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. History On September 13, 2018, the NLL approved a franchise reloc ...

Colorado Mammoth The Colorado Mammoth are a box lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League. The Mammoth have played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avalanch ...

Buffalo Bandits The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse team in the East Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, t ...

Minnesota Swarm The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's M ...

Edmonton Rush The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015. The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 sea ...

Toronto Rock The Toronto Rock are a professional box lacrosse franchise based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. ...

, and

Panther City LC The Panther City Lacrosse Club is a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. They have played at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas since their inaugural 2021–2022 season. History On July 22, 2020, the NLL awarded an expansion franch ...

and was the

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

NLL scoring leader. Benesch was born in

Kitchener, Ontario ) , image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , blank_emblem_type = ...

, Canada.

Professional career

Benesch was drafted first overall by the

San Jose Stealth The San Jose Stealth were a member of the National Lacrosse League, the professional box lacrosse league of North America from 2004 NLL season, 2004 until 2009 NLL season, 2009. They played at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, which is also the home of ...

in the 2006 NLL entry draft, but was traded to

along with Chad Thompson and Kevin Fines for 2005 NLL

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

Colin Doyle. Benesch played his minor lacrosse in Kitchener-Waterloo as well as his Junior 'A' lacrosse. He is currently the second leading scorer all-time in

Kitchener-Waterloo Braves The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfr ...

history behind Colin Doyle. Benesch was named Rookie of the Week three times in the 2007 season, in weeks 4, 11, and 12, and was also named Rookie of the Month in March. On May 8, 2007, Benesch was awarded the

Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

, and named to the All-Rookie team. Early in the

2009 NLL season The 2009 National Lacrosse League season, the 23rd in the history of the NLL, began January 3, 2009 in Buffalo, Portland, and Sunrise, Florida, and concluded with the Calgary Roughnecks defeating the New York Titans 12—10 in the Champion's Cup ...

, Benesch and veteran

Derek Suddons Derek Suddons (born October 6, 1978) is a professional lacrosse player who most recently played for the New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League and the Brooklin Redmen of Major Series Lacrosse. A member of the 1997 and 1999 Mint ...

were traded to the

for future draft picks. After one season in Edmonton, he was traded again, this time to the

along with Scott Self and a draft pick for Scott Stewart, Ryan Ward, Justin Norbraten, and Richard Morgan. After four seasons in Minnesota where he averaged 83 points per season (leading the league in 2011), Benesch was traded to the

along with Andrew Watt for two first round draft picks and a third round pick. Benesch was traded to the Colorado Mammoth, along with a conditional third round draft pick in exchange for Callum Crawford and Alex Buque on August 1, 2017. Benesch was selected by the

in the 2021 NLL expansion draft. He was traded to the Albany FireWolves after three games with Panther City LC.

Canadian Box career

Junior

Benesch played five full years for the

of the

OLA Junior A Lacrosse League The Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL) is considered the most competitive Junior A men's box lacrosse league in the world and the number one source for talent for the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The OJLL is sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse ...

. In 2002, Benesch was given the "Joey Nieuwendyk Award" for Rookie of the Year. He finished his junior career with an outstanding 178 goals and 391 points in just 104 games.

Senior

Benesch currently plays for the

Victoria Shamrocks The Victoria Shamrocks are a Senior A box lacrosse team, based in Victoria, British Columbia. The team competes in the 7-team Western Lacrosse Association (WLA). The Shamrocks entered the former Inter-City Lacrosse League, which is now the WLA, i ...

of the

Western Lacrosse Association The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is a men's Senior A box lacrosse sanctioned by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. It consists of seven teams, based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia. Each year, the playoff teams battle for ...

after his playing rights were acquired from the

Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumf ...

on 29 May 2010, along with those of

Chet Koneczny Chet Koneczny (born May 9, 1984) is a professional lacrosse player for the Halifax Thunderbirds in the National Lacrosse League. College and club career Koneczny attended York University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. He ...

. He was awarded the "Gene Dopp Memorial Trophy" for Rookie of the year in 2007. In 2009, Benesch won the

Presidents Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...

with the

Owen Sound Woodsmen The Owen Sound NorthStars are a Canada, Canadian Senior box lacrosse team. The team played in the City of Owen Sound, Ontario, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada and participate in the OLA Senior B Lacrosse League. As the Woodsmen they were two-time Pr ...

of the

OLA Senior B Lacrosse League Ontario Series Lacrosse, known as the OLA Senior B Lacrosse League from 1999-2019, is a Senior box lacrosse league based out of Ontario, Canada sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Many of the players in the league play or have played in ...

Statistics

NLL

Reference:

OLA

References

Awards

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benesch, Ryan 1985 births Living people Albany FireWolves players Buffalo Bandits players Canadian lacrosse players Colorado Mammoth players Edmonton Rush players Halifax Thunderbirds players Lacrosse forwards Lacrosse people from Ontario Minnesota Swarm players National Lacrosse League major award winners Panther City LC players Rochester Knighthawks players Sportspeople from Kitchener, Ontario Toronto Rock players