Thunderbirds sign Ryan Benesch to one-year extension

Jul 31, 2023

HALIFAX, NS (July 31, 2023) – The Halifax Thunderbirds today announced that the team has signed forward Ryan Benesch to a one-year contract extension. 

“Beni is seventh all-time in points in the NLL. He is a sniper and continues to score 30-plus goals a year, and on top of that, he is a great teammate,” Thunderbirds Owner and General Manager Curt Styres said. “We are really lucky to have him back for the 2023-2024 season.”

Benesch, 38, is a 17-year National Lacrosse League veteran who has spent three of those seasons as a member of the Thunderbirds organization. The San Jose Stealth originally drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2006 NLL Draft. 

The Elmira, Ontario product originally joined the organization in Rochester in 2019 and was a part of the original team that moved to Halifax for the 2020 season. 

He returned to the Thunderbirds last summer in free agency, signing a one-year contract with the team on Aug 14, 2022. 

Benesch is a future NLL Hall of Famer who sits seventh all-time in both goals and points and ninth all-time in assists. This past season, Benesch surpassed Gary Gait for seventh all-time in points while also reaching the 500-goal mark. 

This past season, Benesch finished with 31 goals and 75 points, good for third in team scoring. In 255 career games, he has 511 goals and 706 assists for 1,217 points. 

“Halifax is where I always wanted to be, a place I can call home. I’m happy to be back with my second family,” Benesch said.