FRASER, Mich. – Word of mouth, and the desire to move up the hockey ranks landed Garrett Benoit with the Metro Jets.

A 2001 birth year forward out of Grosse Pointe Farms, Benoit played last season for Grosse Pointe South High School. Then a summertime chat with a former Jets goalie prompted him to see what the Jets could offer.

“I ended up signing with the Jets after Anthony Carlier encouraged me to come out and skate to check out the Jets,” said Benoit. “Also, after speaking with the coaching staff, I found this organization to be a good fit for me.

“The way the coaching staff is always there for your benefit and wants to help the players improve every single day is what I love the most. I didn’t know very much about the Jets other than they’ve had a lot of success over the years.”

This season, Benoit has recorded three goals and eight points with the MJDP team.

“’Benny’ came across my radar a few years ago when I was coaching his younger sister with my U14 Belle Tire girls hockey team,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “Since that time, I had kept him in mind as someone who could be a great addition to our program.  

“Benny has good offensive instincts and a great shot. Combine that with his positive attitude and it makes for an easy player to coach and develop. He has a lot to learn still but we are really happy with his progress thus far.”

Points aside, Benoit has certain intangibles that help benefit the Jets.

“I bring my hard-working mindset to the rink every day, and I bring good spirit to the team, especially in the locker room and during games,” noted Benoit. “I hope to be very successful while playing for the Jets, and my goal is to play NCAA hockey one day. I also want to go to dental school eventually.”