A new house for themselves or their parents. A pricey car. Some eye-popping jewelry. Athletes usually stick with the basics when it comes to their first big purchase after signing a massive contract.
Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson? Not so much.
Benson, who inked a seven-year, $52.5 million extension with the Sabres in late June, has spent the past couple weeks aiming to make an addition from his family's traveling carnival.
"I'm trying to negotiate with my parents trying to get the mini-doughnut stand out on the fair," the 21-year-old Canadian said Wednesday on Sabres Live with Brian Duff and Martin Biron. "Other than that, nothing crazy."
In September, an episode of Buffalo Sabres: Embedded featured Benson traveling back to Western Canada to spend time with his family, which runs West Coast Amusements. He reminisced about his first job running the mini-doughnut stand. Now he's trying to buy it for himself.
"Founded by our visionaries Bingo and Jackie Hauser, we have proudly evolved into the largest family-operated midway operation in the country," West Coast Amusements says on its official website. "Our impressive fleet boasts over 70 state-of-the-art rides, bringing joy to approximately 60 fairs across Canada each year. Our partnerships have flourished for over six decades, embodying the spirit of community and celebration."
Benson added he's eventually going to purchase his own home in Buffalo — he's spent time living with Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin early in his NHL career — and a new SUV.
It sounds like the house is going to need space for a doughnut cart.
Zach Benson says he's 'super pumped' to remain with the Buffalo Sabres
Benson made an immediate jump to the NHL after the Sabres selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He's gained a lot of fans in Western New York because of his relentless play style, which was on full display during the club's run in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 5-foot-10 winger recorded nine points (five goals and four assists) in 13 postseason games as Buffalo advanced to the second round before falling short in Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens.
His offensive game is still evolving, as evidenced by his modest 101 points (34 goals and 67 helpers) in 211 regular-season appearances, but his compete level is off the charts when it comes to forechecking, backchecking and working in the dirty areas of the ice.
Benson finished with a plus-27 rating in 2025-26, which ranked 24th in the NHL and illustrated his dedication to playing a strong two-way game. If he can eventually become a better finisher in the offensive zone, he'll emerge as one of the league's most complete wingers.
For his part, the former Winnipeg Ice standout in the WHL is just happy to continue his career in Buffalo with the organization on an upswing after more than a decade of frustration.
“Yeah, obviously I kind of made it clear to my agent I wanted to be here a long time," Benson said on Sabres Live. "I wanted to get that done as soon as possible to give our team flexibility and give them room to make moves. Obviously, I'm super pumped to be here. The group is — I think we got something special building here. Just super fired up to get the season going."
Laughably, Benson's name popped up in the rumor mill on Wednesday with Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reporting the winger was the first player the Winnipeg Jets asked for in the ongoing trade talks surrounding goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Never in a million years would Buffalo consider including Benson in that trade.
The Sabres do have some work to do before the 2026-27 campaign gets underway. They could use a proven top-six scoring forward, which would preferably be a first-line center, and could benefit from another piece for defensive depth. A goalie upgrade also makes sense at the right price.
In the big picture, however, the Blue and Gold are finally back moving in the right direction for the first time in far too long. A core that includes Benson, Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Josh Doan, Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson is a strong foundation.
Now it comes down to finding a few missing pieces to help Buffalo finally hunt down an elusive Stanley Cup title.
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