During the 1948-1949 ice hockey season, defenseman Maurice “Moe” Benoit was signed to the Montreal Royals of the Quebec Senior Hockey League, but he only played one game before taking a break until 1950. Upon his return he spent two years in Quebec’s junior league with the Montreal Nationale prior to suiting up for a year with the Matane Red Rocks of the Lower St. Lawrence Hockey League. After two years with the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the Northern Ontario Hockey League, he returned to Quebec in 1955 to play a season with the Trois-Rivieres Lions for three games. He finally settled in Ontario, playing for the Belleville McFarlands of the Eastern Ontario Hockey League from 1956 through 1960. In 1958 his team won the Allan Cup, given annually to the men’s senior ice hockey champions in Canada, which earned them the right to represent Canada at the 1959 World Ice Hockey Champions. His skills at the tournament, where Canada won a gold medal, were so impressive that he was invited by the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen to join them in playing for Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics. At the competition he skated in seven matches, scored one goal, and took home a silver medal. During that season he also played four games with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. He spent the rest of his career in the International Hockey League, suiting up with the Omaha Knights from 1960 through 1963, the Toledo Blades from 1963 through 1966, and the Dayton Gems from 1966 through 1970. During this time he was a player/coach for Toledo in 1963-1964, shared the IHL’s top defenseman award (the Governor’s Trophy) with Alain Beaule in 1969, and won two Turner Cups with the Gems as league champions in 1969 and 1970. After his retirement he owned a semi-professional ice hockey team for a brief period and had a career in manufacturing. He later settled in Dayton, where he often attended local hockey games, and was a member of the Dayton Hockey Hall of Fame.
Canada