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James Benesh’s passion for delving into an online hockey draft journey led him to amass one of the most extensive collections of hockey books, earning him the title of a hockey historian.
Hailing from Regina and managing a business specializing in custom window coverings, Benesh has amassed approximately 1,200 hockey books.
The Society for International Hockey Research, in which Benesh holds membership, acknowledges only two other private collections that surpass the size of his collection.
Prior to 2008, Benesh’s collection was relatively modest, comprising around 30 to 40 books, mostly gifted by his family.
Fascinated by a Hockey Draft
His collection expanded when he engaged in hockey discussions on a professional hockey message board online, connecting with like-minded individuals intrigued by the sport’s history.
Benesh stumbled upon the “All Time Draft,” a competitive research project blending hockey fantasy and history, where participants draft teams of all-time greats and support their choices with evidence from books and newspapers to outshine competitors. These fantasy teams then compete in a playoff format determined by votes.
“I became engrossed in winning that draft and compiling as much information as possible about my players to validate my team’s superiority,” he expressed.
Benesh accumulated a library of 300 to 400 hockey books and further enriched his collection by acquiring hundreds more through an estate sale from the late collector and historian Carleton “Mac” McDiarmid, a former goal judge at the Montreal Forum.
Recognized by The Hockey News
In 2016, Benesh also acquired a complete set of The Hockey News issues after filling the gaps in his collection by purchasing missing editions from a fellow Regina resident, the late Winston Bohn, then in his 80s, who possessed issues dating back to 1947.
“I envisioned having a complete collection one day, but I never expected it to come from someone local, someone in such close proximity,” shared Benesh.
Benesh’s wife informed The Hockey News about his complete collection, leading to a feature on him by the publication.
During the same period, several publications and websites released top players lists to commemorate the NHL’s 100th season. Benesh, dissatisfied with many lists, offered to compile a similar ranking for The Hockey News.
Impressed by his writing and analysis, The Hockey News invited Benesh to serve as a consultant on a project ranking the top 50 players of all time for each NHL franchise. His critique of the panel’s rankings prompted adjustments to some lists.
