Zach Benson, the NHL's next great Stanley Cup playoff pest - ESPN

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Zach Benson is a hockey player you hate to love. Or, love to hate — depending on where you're lined up against him.

It's a complicated dynamic even for Benson's Buffalo Sabres teammates, until they remember the NHL's heir apparent to the top of the pest pedestal is actually on their side.

«In pretty much every practice, I want to punch him in the face, too,» goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen acknowledged. «The worst part of [going against him] is that he's an unbelievably skilled player who can also play on the edge of that rat-like game. That's just pissing you off even more, when it's an actually great player who is fighting hard for every puck, and scoring goals, but he can also do all that extra stuff to get under your skin. It's annoying.»

Consider Benson unbothered by his burgeoning reputation. The 20-year-old winger has cultivated a pesky presence on the ice for years, but is perhaps only now gaining leaguewide attention for his expertise.

«All I can say is — finally,» Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said of Benson being recognized. «People really get to see who he is. He's the ultimate teammate. He's the guy you want to have on your team. He just brings great energy, he's got that edge to his game, he reads the game very well and he's got a lot of skill. I'm so happy we have him.»

Benson is decidedly less beloved outside of Buffalo. He began producing headlines in Game 6 of the Sabres' Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against Boston on May 1. When Buffalo was up 4-1 late in the third period and the Bruins were teetering on elimination, Benson tripped up Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy while attempting to negate what was essentially a meaningless icing call with 90 seconds left.

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