Elmer Benning

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Montreal Canadians

Elmer Benning

(Dec. 17, 1940 — Dec. 27, 2018)

Born in Humboldt, he spent 47 years with Montreal Canadiens as an amateur scout, starting in 1970. . . . Moved to Edmonton after his wife, Liz, got a nursing job there. Was a firefighter in Edmonton when the Canadiens hired him. . . . It’s true that his 1985 Toyota Camry had more than one million kilometres on it, mostly from scouting trips across the Prairies. . . . Health concerns forced him into retirement after the 2016-17 season. . . . Two of his sons, Brian and Jim, played in the NHL, with Jim going on to scout and work as an NHL executive. . . . Two other sons played college hockey, Mark for Harvard and Craig for St. Francis Xavier. . . . Grandson Matt also played in the NHL and another grandson, Mike, is a Florida Panthers prospect; both are Brian’s sons.