The directors of the Los Angeles Junior Kings hockey program had reason to celebrate right along with the Pittsburgh Penguins when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016.

At that moment, Bennett became not only the first California-born-and-trained player to win the Cup, but the first product of the Junior Kings organization to do so.

The triumph marked one of the highlights in a career that began with Bennett playing inline hockey and making the transition at age 15 to the ice, where he quickly caught the attention of NHL scouts.

After scoring 41 goals and setting up 79 more for Penticton of the British Columbia Hockey League, Bennett was drafted at age 18 by the Penguins with the No. 20 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. That made Bennett became the highest-drafted California-born-and-trained player in NHL history. He spent the next two seasons playing at the University of Denver, where he had 38 points (13 goals) in 47 games.

Bennett made his pro debut the following season with Wilkes-Barre of the American Hockey League, then made his NHL debut on Feb. 15, 2013, against the Winnipeg Jets. He scored his first NHL goal on Feb. 24, 2013, on the power play against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Often missing time with injuries, Bennett played 129 games during his first four NHL seasons and had 16 goals, 29 assists and a plus-three rating. He was traded to the Devils on June 25, 2016.