Jamie Benn will miss the start of the 2025-26 NHL season after sustaining a collapsed lung in a preseason game against the Minnesota Wild.
“He was diagnosed with the injury late in the third period of Tuesday’s preseason game against Minnesota. Benn is expected to make a full recovery and will be reevaluated in four weeks,” the Dallas Stars said in a statement.
The 36-year-old Victoria native is entering his 17th NHL season.
He has appeared in 1,192 career games and sits 44 points shy of the 1,000-point milestone, a mark only 100 players in league history have reached.
Benn has been a model of consistency with Dallas, playing all 82 regular-season games in a campaign seven times. Since his debut in 2009, he has become a cornerstone for the Stars as captain and one of their most reliable scorers.
He also stands as the most accomplished NHL player to come from Victoria, leading all locals in goals, assists, points, and games played. He is the only Victoria-born player to surpass 1,000 games and the only one still active in the league.
The Stars went on to win Tuesday’s game 3-2 and have won both of their preseason contests. They open the regular season Oct. 9 against the Winnipeg Jets.
