# Robert Benson (ice hockey)

Robert John Benson (May 18, 1894 – September 7, 1965) was an Icelandic-Canadian ice hockey player. A defenceman, he started his career with the Winnipeg Falcons of the Manitoba Hockey League in 1913, remaining with them until 1920, though missed two seasons of play from 1917 to 1919 while serving in the First World War. With the Falcons he played at the 1920 Summer Olympics and won the first gold medal in Olympic ice hockey. He later played in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1921 to 1926, as well as 8 games with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League during the 1924–25 season. Benson continued playing in other minor leagues until retiring in 1931.

## Playing career

Benson was born in Davidson, Saskatchewan, to Icelandic immigrants Benedikt Jóhannesson and Rósa Guðmundsdóttir.
He was the younger brother of ice hockey player Connie Benson.
During the 1920–21 season, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president H. J. Sterling hired a detective who discovered that Benson and teammate Haldor Halderson received C$6,500 to play amateur hockey. The Amateur Athletic Union of Canada voided Halderson's registration card and he was suspended from the 1921 Allan Cup playoffs, although the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association allowed him and his Saskatoon team to continue in the league playoffs.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1912–13 | Winnipeg Strathconas | WSrHL | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913–14 | Winnipeg Falcons | MHL | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1914–15 | Winnipeg Falcons | MHL | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1915–16 | Winnipeg Falcons | MHL | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1916–17 | Winnipeg 223rd Battalion | MHL | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1919–20 | Winnipeg Falcons | MHL | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1919–20 | Winnipeg Falcons | Al-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 1920–21 | Saskatoon Crescents | SSHL | 16 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| 1921–22 | Saskatoon Crescents | WCHL | 23 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1922–23 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 27 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1923–24 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 26 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1923–24 | Calgary Tigers | West-P | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1923–24 | Calgary Tigers | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924–25 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1924–25 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1925–26 | Saskatoon Crescents | WHL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1925–26 | Edmonton Eskimos | WHL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1926–27 | Moose Jaw Warriors | PHL | 32 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1927–28 | Winnipeg Maroons | AHA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1927–28 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| 1928–29 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 40 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 92 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1929–30 | Seattle Eskimos | PCHL | 36 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1930–31 | Seattle Eskimos | PCHL | 33 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 76 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| WCHL/WHL totals | WCHL/WHL totals | WCHL/WHL totals | 109 | 21 | 11 | 32 | 71 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1920 | Canada | OLY | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |

## Awards and achievements

* Allan Cup Championship (1920)
* Olympic Gold Medalist (1920)