Benoit scored 24 goals and 51 assists for 75 points while compiling 67 minutes in penalties in 65 games. He also had a career-high plus-30 plus-minus rating. The 20-year-old native of St. Albert, Ontario, was named OHL defenceman of the month in November and was the OHL player of the week after equalling a league record for defencemen with eight points in the Rangers season-opener last September.
Benoit has amassed 222 points over four seasons after the Rangers selected him in the first round of the 2000 OHL Priority Selection.
The William Hanley Trophy winner is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player as selected by OHL member team coaches and general managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for players from their own hockey club. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
Benoit received 56 points in the voting while Danny Syvret of the London Knights was second with 37 points and Craig Kennedy of the Windsor Spitfires was third with 27 points.
Previous winners of the William Hanley Trophy include Wayne Gretzky (Sault Ste. Marie 1977-78), Kirk Muller (Guelph 1982-83), Andrew Cassels (Ottawa 1987-88) and Alyn McCauley (Ottawa 1996-97). Kyle Wellwood of the Windsor Spitfires won the trophy last season.
