Simon Benoit scored his first goal of the season in Toronto’s win over Utah HC on Monday—but that wasn’t his only highlight. He also went viral for landing a Superman punch in a big fight against Michael Kesselring. And as he took a seat in the penalty box afterward, he pulled off yet another incredible moment
Benoit needed an assist to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick, but he still had plenty to celebrate after the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 shootout win. The 23-year-old defenseman has played 131 games for Toronto, and this was just his second career goal. It gave the Leafs a 3-0 lead with 15:12 left in the second period.
Known more for his physical play than his scoring touch, Benoit made his presence felt in other ways, too. Right after the ensuing faceoff following his goal, Utah’s Michael Kesselring challenged him to drop the gloves—and Benoit didn’t hesitate. The fight immediately got the crowd buzzing as he launched a Superman punch at Kesselring, much to the delight of Leafs fans.
“I think in the moment, I just saw an opening and took it,” Benoit said. “He wanted to get his guys going and asked me. Little smirk—he kind of tried to hurt Bobby (McMann) there on the faceoff, so I stepped up to protect my teammate.”
Simon Benoit’s penalty box move
Videos and pictures of the Superman punch spread fast, with some fans joking it should be “hung in the Louvre.” But Benoit wasn’t done making viral moments. After the fight, he appeared to injure his thumb—yet instead of making a big deal out of it, he casually reset it himself in the penalty box.
Social media had a field day with it.
“Hockey players are just built different,” one fan wrote.
Another added: “NBA players would be out for a month just from witnessing this video.”
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