Joe Benson is currently the Play-by-Play Broadcaster and a Corporate Partnerships Executive for the ECHL's Kansas City Mavericks, the AA affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. His calls can be heard on the ECHL's exclusive streaming platform, FloSports, as well as on TV locally in partnership with KCTV5.

 

A native of Andover, MA, Joe has been passionate about hockey and broadcasting since he was a kid, when he would often mute the TV and do play-by-play while his friends played NHL on Xbox 360. Joe's foray into hockey broadcasting began during his freshman year at Colby College in Waterville, ME, where he handled both play-by-play and color commentary over four seasons for the men's hockey team.

 

After graduating from Colby in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Managerial Economics, Joe went into software sales but was determined to keep his broadcasting dream alive. While working full time in sales, he got the opportunity to provide play-by-play coverage for UMass Lowell D1 Men's Ice Hockey, Wentworth Institute of Technology's D3 Men's Ice Hockey, and the NCDC Boston Junior Bruins and Northern Cyclones of the USPHL. 

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Prior to moving to the Midwest, in the late fall of 2022, Joe was hired by the NAHL's Corpus Christi IceRays to fill a mid-season opening as Director of Broadcasting and Communications. 

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The 2023-24 campaign, Joe first full season in Kansas City, was a special one on multiple levels. Not only did he have the privilege of calling the Mavericks' first ever run to the Kelly Cup Finals, but he made his NHL debut on January 28th, 2024, calling the 2nd period action of the St. Louis Blues vs. the Los Angeles Kings on 101 ESPN.

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Joe currently resides in downtown Kansas City. Away from the broadcast booth, Joe enjoys spending time strength training at the gym, volunteering in the community, and dining at KC's finest BBQ joints.