Mac Bennett, a 2009 third round (79^th overall) draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, has relished experiences far beyond what he dreamed of growing up in the small town of Narragansett, Rhode Island.  He attended the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and like all players waiting to hear their name, felt anxious and uptight.

“I knew I wasn’t going in the first round, but I just remember sitting there hearing name after name being called and my heart sinking lower each time,” recounted Bennett.  “Finally, Montreal was up and they selected me. It was like I blacked out for the next hour.”

For most players, the moment you hear your name called, a roller coaster of emotions takes over. “It was such a surreal experience; I remember going down to Montreal’s table and shaking hands with everyone who was involved, it was really just a dream come true.”  Although he was thrilled to have been drafted by the historic Montreal Canadiens, he knew the real work was only just beginning.

Bennett embarked on his goal to become a professional hockey player by attending the University of Michigan, where he spent four years developing in the college hockey system. “For me, major junior wasn’t really something I wanted to pursue. I had always wanted to go to college and my parents pushed that on me as well.”

Growing up on the East Coast, Bennett knew nothing about Michigan nor what the university had to offer.  His original aspirations involved going to Boston College until his father convinced him to visit Michigan before coming to a final decision. “I went, met the coaches, saw U of Michigan play against Western Michigan the Friday and Saturday that I was there, sat in the student section, and after the first period of the first game I knew that was where I wanted to play.  It was incredible.”

Although he spent four years at Michigan, it was during his freshman year where he experienced the biggest stages in college hockey. “My freshman year we played in the Big Chill (outdoor game at Michigan Stadium which set an official attendance record for hockey with 104,173 screaming fans in attendance) and made it to the National Championship game.”

Looking back, Bennett realizes how special that freshman year really was in regards to playing at the highest level of college hockey. “My freshman class – we didn’t really realize how special that first year was. We didn’t realize it until it had already gone by; we got there [National Championship] the first year so we all just kind of assumed we’d be able to get there again.” He and his teammates never returned to the big game, but he remembers his first and only appearance like it was yesterday.

“Being able to play in that championship game was incredible.  We were in Minnesota playing against Minnesota-Duluth and it was a sold out crowd, half Michigan, half Minnesota fans. It was one of the coolest atmospheres I’ve ever been apart of.”

Last year though, Bennett experienced some change in hockey scenery as he played in his first professional hockey season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, then the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens.  “Your first year of pro is just a year of firsts. For me, coming from college, it was my first year playing a long schedule. When I was in college, if we had a bus ride longer than four hours we would charter a plane. In the AHL that is not the case, we bus everywhere.”

One thing that Bennett credits most to his enjoyable transition to professional hockey was the bond he was able to share with roommates Nick Sorkin and Jacob De La Rose.

“Any kind of high or low, we all went through it together, which was nice.”

On the ice, it was Hamilton defense coach, Donald Dufresne, who helped Bennett learn the pro game and improve his play on the defensive side of the puck. “He’s showed me what it takes in and out of the rink; he’s been a huge part of my development and will continue to be here in St. John’s.”

Last season, the Canadiens announced the St. John’s Ice Caps would serve as their AHL affiliate beginning with the 2015-16 season.  When asked about his thoughts on the relocation, Bennett was thrilled to hear it was to Canada’s East Coast. “I grew up near the ocean. So to be near the ocean again, after being land-locked in Iowa for junior and then in Michigan for college, it’s nice to be near the water again. It gives me a sense of calm.”

Having just settled in to a place downtown, Bennett feels as though life in St. John’s will be very calming. “The people here are very, very friendly and there are a ton of restaurants. I am a Musicology Major coming out of school and I feel like St. John’s has got to be one of the live music capitals of Canada.  Pretty much every restaurant you walk by on any given night, there is someone playing.”

Since turning pro, Bennett has recognized all the extra time he has as a professional hockey player compared to playing in the college ranks. “When you’re at school you have a set schedule everyday: you wake up, you go to class, you go to the rink, you do homework, then you go to bed. In pro, you wake up, go to the rink, you have practice, and by 1 o’clock you’re done, that’s it. You have to find ways to fill your time productively without your brain turning into mush.”

This new reality led to a phone call with an old University of Michigan friend and PHPA Member, Lee Moffie.  Lee and friend/business partner Steve Fischer (both University of Michigan alums) had recently started a clothing company called State and Liberty Clothing Co. The company specializes in the production of dress shirts tailored to athletic builds.  

“After my season in Hamilton, I remember driving back to Ann Arbor, which is where the company is based, and I called Lee on the phone. I told him I would have a lot of downtime and that I would do whatever he wanted me to do.”

Lee and Steve decided to bring Bennett on board for the summer of 2015. “My official title was Vice President of Marketing. So I can say I’ve been VP of something.  It was my job to reach out to people, get them into shirts, and have them write short blurbs with their thoughts.  My role was to generate awareness.”

Bennett explained how the company went through the prototype process and the special kind of feedback they incorporated into improving each and every time they created a new shirt. “While Lee was prototyping these shirts, we would both have guys try them from our teams (Bennett with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Moffie with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays).  They would give us suggestions and with each new prototype, the shirts got better and better.”

Bennett recounts Moffie telling him, “You’re never going to get more honest feedback than the feedback you get in a hockey dressing room.”

“The people working to grow State and Liberty know hockey better than anything and the hockey community is relatively small. But one of the coolest things is that it doesn’t matter what level you play or where you play, any time a hockey guy comes out with an idea or product, other hockey guys jump on it and show their support. It seems as though that’s just what you do.”

State and Liberty Clothing Co. has made a great first impression in the hockey community. “The material is like a dry-fit, stretchy, workout shirt, but still looks like a dress shirt. They are really light, super flexible, and you don’t have to worry about ripping any seams. Another great feature is the fact that you don’t have to take them to get them dry-cleaned.”

This feature is especially important for athletes because they are constantly travelling. “I can literally throw one in my travel bag, go on the trip, take it out, and it’s ready to wear,” says Bennett.

State and Liberty Clothing Co. and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) recently announced a partnership that will help the company expand its footprint within the hockey community.  All of the individuals involved with the company come from a hockey background, which has led to a seamless relationship with the PHPA.

“In talking with Lee, he was all jacked up when he told me the PHPA had agreed to become partners. Again, it is really going to help grow the company. This also shows other players that you can do more than just play hockey,” says Bennett.

State and Liberty has thus far received an outpouring of support from the hockey community and with the help of the PHPA, hopes to continue to flourish in the years to come.

As too does Mac Bennett, who is looking to build off a successful rookie campaign and expand his role with the St. John’s Ice Caps this year in hopes of eventually receiving a call-up to Montreal; arguably the fashion capital of Canada.