Though he was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, on March 27, 1948, Curt Bennett was raised in Cranston, Rhode Island because his father was a professional hockey player who made his living in the United States.
Bennett, a left-winger, had a very successful three year run with Brown University that saw him named to three All-Star teams before he made the leap to the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 1970-71. Bennett played just 35 games with the Blues over two seasons before he was dealt to the New York Rangers for the 1972-73 season. After just 16-games on Broadway, Bennett was on the move again, this time to Georgia to join the Atlanta Flames. He was given an opportunity to play and thrived, scoring 18 goals and 35 points in 52 games.
Now established as an NHLer, Curt Bennett improved to 41 points the following year and broke out in 1974-75. He scored 31 goals, making him the first U.S.-bred player to eclipse the 30-goal mark, and represented the Flames in the NHL All-Star game. The next season, he bettered his output, lighting the lamp 34 times, again playing in the All-Star game, and registering a career-high 65-points. He represented the United States in the 1976 Canada Cup, but his NHL totals dipped to 22 goals that season. After struggling out of the gate the next campaign, Bennett was dealt back to the St. Louis Blues in a six-player trade on December 12th, 1977.
Bennett was unable to produce to his previous levels with the Blues but did represent his country in the World Championships in each of his two seasons with the Blues. Following the 1978-79 season, a year that he was able to play in the NHL with his brother, Harvey, Bennett was dealt back to the Flames.
The 1979-80 season ended up being his final year in the NHL. Bennett scored just one goal in 21 games that year and spent some time with the Birmingham Bulls of the Central Hockey League.
Bennett felt he had some hockey left, and went with his wife to Nikko, Japan to be a player/coach for the Furukawa Denko club, along with his brother, Harvey, who also had finished his NHL career. While in Japan, Bennett wrote some articles for 'Goal' magazine about his experience. Bennett, who had some sportscasting experience from his time in Atlanta, also filed some television reports for North American media outlets about his time in Japan and their growing hockey culture.
Bennett retired from hockey following the 1981-82 season, his second in Japan.
