2023-24 Player Profile: Ben Hemmerling
Ben Hemmerling has bona fide star potential for his 19-year-old season in Everett. Fully recovered from an upper-body injury that cut his season short last spring, the Vegas Golden Knights prospect could be one of the top scorers in the division come March.
2022-23 in review
Hemmerling ranked better than a point-per-game player in his third WHL campaign, finishing with 21 goals and 41 assists in 55 games played. The Sherwood Park, AB native posted 19 multi-point outings, with his best being a two-goal, two-assist night on Jan. 18 vs Lethbridge capped off by an overtime winner.
He particularly shone on the powerplay, ranking second-best on the team with 16 assists on the man advantage with six powerplay goals. He also logged 227 total shots on goal, third-most on the team behind only Jackson Berezowski (270) and Austin Roest (229).
🔊 "Make sure the hands are warm so I can dangle, baby!"@GoldenKnights prospect Ben Hemmerling shows off the hands and the singing pipes in a Mic'd Up warmup lap!#ForEverett pic.twitter.com/dRSpFDZOVY
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) February 1, 2023
“It was a different look [in 2022-23],” Hemmerling said after the season. “I took on a leadership role with the group. I came into my own a little bit with driving the play a little more and filling a bigger role in that aspect.”
Drafted 177th-overall in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Hemmerling will attend Vegas Golden Knights Training Camp this week alongside former Silvertips teammate and Vegas prospect Alex Swetlikoff.
King of Overtime
Hemmerling had a flair for the dramatic last season, particularly once the calendar flipped to the new year. Everett won four games in overtime during the month of January- three of them won by Hemmerling. His first came on Jan. 4 at Kamloops, sealing a 3-2 victory. Then his aforementioned Jan. 18 winner vs Lethbridge. He capped off his thrilling month with a winner vs Swift Current on Jan. 28, finishing a 4-3 win.
MR. CLUTCH‼️ 3 OT winners this MONTH🤯#ForEverett x @GoldenKnights
pic.twitter.com/rIqfJB0XpL— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) January 29, 2023
His six game-winning goals on the season tied him for most on the team with 48-goal scorer Jackson Berezowski.
“Chip on our shoulder”
Hemmerling’s season came to a halt on Mar. 8 after suffering an injury against the Kamloops Blazers. He watched from the sidelines as the Tips were bounced in five games in the opening round of last year’s playoffs. This year, a healthy Ben Hemmerling can make a world of difference for an Everett team that boasts scoring up and down their roster.
“It was a long offseason,” Hemmerling noted in an interview with the WHL’s Chris Wahl, “not just for me but for the whole team. We’re kind of coming in with a chip on our shoulder this year… I think we’ve got a lot of depth this year. I think we can roll four lines.”
He appeared in just one of four possible preseason games this year but made it count, scoring a goal with an assist against Wenatchee. Hemmerling’s strength lies in his hands- he has a devastatingly quick release with the agility to finesse his way out of tough spots. Combining his mitts with his propensity to play between the dots could make for a wildly successful scoring year.
What’s new?
- Preseason Classic tickets are on sale now! CLICK HERE
- Place your deposit for 2023-24 season tickets! CLICK HERE
- Become a billet and join the Silvertips family! CLICK HERE
