Roster turnover is high in junior hockey. There are always tons of players leaving teams at the end of the season and new ones coming in to fill their roles.
Two of those new players are going to be major difference-makers for the Youngstown Phantoms this season.
Forwards Adam Benak and Jack Hextall have already shown flashes together so far during the preseason, and they appear to be forming a connection both on and off the ice.
Phantoms coach Ryan Ward saw the potential of playing them together early on and is optimistic on what they can achieve as a duo.
“I think it’s their brains,” Ward said. “I think they’re very different players, but their brain, they think the game the same. They love the game the same, and they kind of feed off each other in that regard. They want to be the best, and I think that’s important. I think internal competition, wanting to be the best, and being able to lean on each other, a lot of times, when you have younger players, they’re competing against each other instead of with each other. I think some people can’t get out of the way of that, but those two want to be the best together, and I think that’s really important.”
Brought in as a tender agreement, Ward has known Hextall for years, dating back to when Ward was his coach at the U13 level.
Comparing him stylistically to recently retired Boston Bruins star Patrice Bergeron, Ward noted how much of a perfect fit he is in Youngstown.
“He’s extremely smart, and he can check as well as he can play offense,” Ward said of Hextall back in January. “He’s a 200-foot type of centerman and that’s going to be hugely important for us in the next few years. His overall game is something that is very, very special.”
Scoring 88 points (29 goals, 59 assists) in 64 games this past season, the 5-foot-11-inch forward is expected to bring a little bit of everything to the table this year, all at a high level.
There’s obviously an adjustment period jumping to the USHL level, one that both players will have to overcome, but Hextall is excited to get to work.
“It’s a little bit harder just adjusting (to everything),” Hextall said. “Everyone’s faster and everyone’s stronger, so you’ve just gotta keep working.”
Hextall is a highly-touted prospect for the 2026 NHL draft and is committed to Michigan State University, set to attend in the fall of 2026.
Benak is also highly-touted as a prospect albeit for the upcoming 2025 draft.
Ranked as high as 15th overall, the speedy forward from Czechia has garnered comparisons to Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils. He’s expected to be a huge contributor this season as well.
“We communicated with his representation before the Phase II Draft, talking about drafting him and starting the recruiting process, and we brought him to Youngstown for main camp and showed him around the city and he ultimately loved it,” Ward said. “And it was interesting. I was able to go to Prague this summer to run a camp and be able to meet his entire family and see him and he’s really excited. He’s been fantastic. Obviously, it’s always a challenge moving around the world away from your home and your family, but he’s done a great job. He’s in a great situation living with Jack, and he’s been nothing short of fantastic as well as we’ve started the season.”
Benak’s top goal this season is to get drafted. With a jam-packed resume, including breaking the all-time Hlinka Gretzky Cup scoring record with 21 points over 10 appearances, and passing numerous current NHL players along the way, there is a lot to like about his game. The biggest knock some have on Benak is his 5-foot-7 stature.
But the young Czech forward isn’t letting his height slow him down. After playing in the top flight men’s league in his home nation last season, Benak is working to turn his disadvantage into a strength by getting better, stronger, and most importantly, faster.
“I think I need to be faster,” Benak said. “The big guys are not that fast, I think, so I need to be faster so they don’t catch me.”
The USHL Fall Classic is fast approaching, with the Phantoms’ season opener set for Sept. 18 in a contest against Tri-City. Start time is set for 6 p.m.