The Stanley Cup, hockey's most coveted prize, made a fur-flying pit stop at the Humane Society of Broward County, courtesy of the Florida Panthers' forward Sam Bennett. As the Miami Herald reported, Bennett, alongside the gleaming trophy, graced the shelter to draw attention to "Benny's Buddies," a charitable initiative aimed at assisting animals in finding their forever homes. "I'm so excited to get to bring it here and just get more attention to the humane society and hopefully get more people in here,” Bennett enthused in his statement to the Herald.
Bennett, who has clearly demonstrated to be as much of a power player in philanthropy as he is on the ice, aligned his goal-scoring with adoption sponsorships. For every puck he sent careening into the net, an adoption fee at the humane society got covered by his program. Last season, this effort culminated in the sponsorship of 41 adoptions, a tally including 25 regular-season goals, a clutch finisher at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and 15 critical playoff tallies. According to a statement obtained by WSVN, Bennett's commitment is as strong as ever, emphasizing, “As part of a promise for his program, every time Bennett scores a goal for the Cats, the program fully covers the adoption fee of an animal.”
“It’s two different sides of me,” Bennett told the Miami Herald. “You have on ice intense mode, and then this is really my everyday mode is being here around animals. I love animals, and love to help out any way I can.” His teammates have embraced the cause, sometimes opting to pass the puck to him to ensure a goal with an additional charitable outcome. “All throughout the year, every time I scored, they would say, ‘Oh, that was for the animals,’” he shared.
With an eight-year extension to his contract, Bennett's impactful presence on the team—and his philanthropic pursuits—are set to continue, potentially far beyond his 2032-33 season horizon with the Panthers. Even as he straps on his skates for the upcoming season, there's a strategic eye to further grow "Benny’s Buddies." From selling customized hats as Bennett and his fiancée Zoe did, to brainstorming new ways to channel proceeds to the humane society, Bennett aims to keep scoring in more ways than one. "There’s a bunch of other things that I’m sure we could do down the line,” he detailed to the Miami Herald. “So yeah, this program is really just getting started.”
The Panthers open training camp Sept. 21, with their first game of the season against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7. Forward Sam Bennett is focused on both winning on the ice and supporting homeless pets.
