In a series of articles, called Isle Be There, my intention
is to focus on the different social groups that support your New York
Islanders team & its players. This will also include current events, situations and personalities in and around the team as it relates to its fan base and
community.
Bruce Bennett
is a name all hockey fans know, and know well. He has over 42 years in the
books as a professional hockey photographer. That includes covering over 4,800
NHL games in 53 different arenas, he has captured some the most iconic hockey
photos ever taken. Bennett estimates to
have captured over 42,000 photographs that have been used in virtually every
major newspaper and magazine around the world as well as on licensed products
such as trading cards and posters.
Per brucebennetstudios.com,
“Bruce has covered a total of 37 Stanley Cup deciding games. In addition, he
has shot 28 All-Star games, four Olympics and over 393 international hockey
games. He has served as the team photographer for the New York Islanders, New Jersey
Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.”
Bruce was born
in Brooklyn in and raised in Levittown, New York and is still residing on the
Island with his wife, BettyAnn, and two children, Melanie and Max. If they
weren’t already aware, Isles fans would immediately recognize the major role Bruce
Bennett has played in the visual history of our New York Islanders since 1981
by looking at his rich portfolio.
“Funny what a
little cotton and kerosene can do for an image. One of the NHL’s most prolific
scorers, Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders, posed for a few frames that I
shot for a newspaper cover that was commissioned by The Hockey News in 1980.” Getty Images- InFocus
“When stars
collide! Capturing big hits on the ice is great, but capturing two of the
league’s biggest stars is even better. Known for his patented hip check amongst
other things, Denis Potvin nails Montreal’s star forward Guy Lafleur in an open
ice hit – something we don’t see often enough in the NHL these days.” Getty Images- InFocus
So I asked my
friend, Steve Feldman, team photographer for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on what he
thought about Bruce Bennett. Steve has his own photos on about 500 hockey
cards, in magazines, billboards, newspapers and on display at the Hockey Hall
of Fame in Toronto.
He replied,
“Bruce is a great guy and the best hockey photographer out there.”
Per brucebennetstudios.com, "By 2004, via
acquisitions and production of new photography, BBS had amassed a library of
over two million hockey images dating back to 1900. In September of that year,
Bruce Bennett Studios (BBS) was acquired by Getty
Images and Bruce
joined the company as their Director of Photography, Hockey Imagery."
Bruce Bennett Fantasy
Stats:
(Through July
5, 2017)
4569 Regular
season/playoffs
285 NHL
Preseason Games
28 NHL All-Star
Games
37 NHL Stanley
Cup deciding games
1 Winter
Classic Game
2 Outdoor NHL
Games
TOTAL NHL Games
Shot 4882
213 Int
Tours, tournaments, exhibitions
180 Olympic
Games
8 WHA Games
24 Old-timers
& Masters Games
53 Minors,
Juniors & College games
43 Seasons
53 Arenas Shot
in for Regular Season NHL games
36 NHL Amateur
Drafts
1 Memorial Cup
Final
1 NWHL
1 Swedish
Hockey league
TOTAL GAMES
SHOT 5362
Bruce Bennett’s 2015 book, ‘Hockey’s
Greatest Photos’ is sold out everywhere and won’t be reprinted according to the
publisher, but he plans on a follow-up publication very soon. “I am currently in the planning stage of
producing a second book with the same company who also publishes The Hockey
News.”
It was my pleasure to ask Bruce a few
questions about his history with the Islanders and about his legendary career
as a visual story teller in the NHL and the great game of hockey.
Knight of Cups: How do you think the
2017-18 Islanders roster is shaping up?
Bruce Bennett: “The fact is Joe, that I
just show up and shoot. Of course, I always welcome new faces in the lineup as
it gives me something to focus on (pun intended). I was never good at looking
at lineups and knowing which players are on what lines unless it became an
issue in terms of photographic coverage. Meaning that if I had to capture a lot
of images of two guys who played together I would have to be cognizant of
splitting my time. All that said, I am looking forward to seeing if Tavares
will mesh with Eberle.”
Knight of Cups: What do you think of
shooting games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn?
Bruce Bennett: “Except for a somewhat
longer commute to games from Nassau County, and looking past some early issues,
the arena has been great for me. I have my usual ‘deep corner’ position and my
laptop sits beside me so I can transmit pictures during timeouts. I rarely have
this option available to me in other venues. Everyone in the arena and in the
Islanders organization has been super helpful in insuring that it would be a
smooth transition to Brooklyn.”
Knight of Cups: In April of 2014, you photographed your 5000th hockey game. What was it like being
presented with a jersey by the Islanders organization, recognizing your
contributions to their visual history?
Bruce Bennett: “That was a very cool
experience. It was very important to me not only because I grew up on Long
Island and take great pride in living here, but also because Getty Images and
the Islanders partnered on the presentation. Most importantly, my family was
given seats at the game. It was amazing having them there.”
Knight of Cups: What was your favorite
shot from last year’s Isles season?
Bruce Bennett: “It’s difficult to pick
one out, but probably an image of Josh Bailey scoring against Detroit that was
shot with the camera in the net.”
Knight of Cups: What were your top 3,
all-time favorite Islanders moments to capture on film?
Bruce Bennett: “Forty-three years is a
bit of a blur, but of course, the top moment was the Cup win in 1980. Second is
covering the Islanders win the Cup in Vancouver and the late night trip back.
Everything else ties for third place.”
Knight of Cups: Over the years, who were
your top 3 favorite Islanders players to photograph?
Bruce Bennett: “For many years I
maintained that Tomas Jonsson was my favorite player to shoot because of the
facial expressions he would make. So, I think I have to stick with him as one
of the three. Denis Potvin has always been a favorite of mine because he was
such a smooth skater while also being the personification of power on ice. And
I can’t leave out Bobby Nystrom, whose blonde hair flowed majestically as he
skated up ice.”
Knight of Cups: Did you ever meet Al
Arbour? Did you have any interactions you would like to share?
Bruce Bennett: “What an extraordinary
individual! Tough when he needed to be, and gentle as well with a great sense
of humor. I started with the Islanders in late 1981, so was their team photographer
for the last two Cups and each year that involved a trip to the Arbour’s home
for some family shots with the trophy. I still have the fondest memories of how
kind and warm he and his whole family were to me.”
Knight of Cups: Who is your favorite all-time
NHL player as a fan?
Bruce Bennett: “You can’t be a fan… and
a photographer at the same time, it’s just not possible. But if I were to pick
one, it would be Wayne Gretzky. Although prior to becoming a pro photographer
and through my first couple of years of shooting I always loved Bobby Orr.”
Knight of Cups: What was your most
interesting encounter with a player?
Bruce Bennett: “I was on a hockey player
exhibition game tour of Europe during the NHL lockout in 2004. I was walking
the streets of Prague on an off day with another photographer, and Martin
Brodeur snuck up behind me and grabbed my camera off my shoulder. It scared the
hell out of me. I knew him pretty well from New Jersey Devils games and I was
friendly with his father who was a famous hockey photographer. It wasn’t like
we were complete strangers but it was definitely an interesting experience.”
Knight of Cups: Strangest behind the
scenes moment.
Bruce Bennett: “At the NHL All-Star
games especially in the earlier years, I would spend time quickly posing
players singly or in groups team-by-team. Those were usually in the very dated
hockey pose I call “1A” - the player bent at the waste hovering over his stick
which is planted on the ice. In 1991, during the All- Star game in Chicago, I
was sitting in the corner of the rink after morning sessions waiting for a
faceoff. I glanced over at Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios as he was also
waiting for the faceoff and he immediately moved into pose “1A” and the crowd
cracked up.”
Knight of Cups: Most memorable
interaction with a fan.
Bruce Bennett: “It’s always interesting
walking through an arena to hear someone yell “Hey Einstein”. The similarity
between Einstein and me is, well, purely relative. I prefer the more obscure
“Hey, Mark Twain” or even the “Mr. Kotter” mocking I would get from the days
when my hair was black. “
Knight of Cups: What are 3 things most
fans do not know about hockey photographers?
Bruce Bennett: “First, we get into games
for free. Second, our feet get cold rink side. Lastly, we watch the entire game
through one eye.”
Knight of Cups: Of all the photos you've
taken, which has the most meaning to you personally?
Bruce Bennett: “I guess it is the image
of Wayne Gretzky in the locker room at a young age. The image was used on the
cover of my book that came out in 2015. It’s meaningful to me because it
reminds me of just how far photography and hockey have come in all my years in
this business. The image is a poorly exposed black-and-white frame of a frail
kid wearing high school hockey style padding. Times have certainly changed a
lot on the photography side, as we moved from film to digital.”
Knight of Cups: What was your most
interesting moment as a sports photographer?
Bruce Bennett: “Managing the Getty
Images coverage of the ice hockey venues at the Olympics in 2014 in Sochi,
Russia. It’s a far cry from travelling to a game alone and shooting and
transmitting your own images. A gold medal game with five photographers, almost
a dozen remote cameras- the fear of failure could turn a guy’s hair gray. Oops,
too late. It was my fourth Olympics and the game plan of coverage can leave zero chance for failure. If you can’t
get up for that challenge, you should stay home. Even without NHL players
coming to South Korea in 2018, I’m already preparing the details of my intended
coverage. And looking forward to it!”
Knight of Cups: What other subjects do
you like to photograph?
Bruce Bennett: “I like shooting surfing
and dogs in action at the dog park. It’s a great way to stay sharp and test the
limits of your equipment.”
Knight of Cups: At what moment did you
know you wanted to immortalize moments in time on the ice as a career?
Bruce Bennett: “I started shooting at 18
and certainly at that time I didn’t give it all that much thought. Just figured
I could get into games for free and maybe make a few dollars. I think that it
wasn’t until I did a less than stellar job covering the Montreal Canadiens cup
win over the Rangers in 1979 that I realized I needed to be better, smarter,
and faster. I owed it not only to myself and my clients, but I felt that I bore
some responsibility for capturing hockey moments for posterity. And I still
feel that way.”
Knight of Cups: Who is an up and coming sports
photographer we should keep an eye on?
Bruce Bennett: “A few of the newer Getty
Images staffers like Maddie Meyer (in Boston) bring their ‘A’ game every night
whether it’s hockey or anything else. Working out of Phoenix, we have Christian
Petersen who is as motivated a shooter as I’ve even seen. He takes his work
very seriously, excels at shooting all sports and won’t be denied any shot. He
also has that creative flair which I lack and am very envious of. Patrick Smith
who isn’t a newcomer to sports photography but joined Getty only a few years
back has shown that he can shoot all sports really well. He also has the
ability to come up with some great action shots along with some new creative
angles. I had him help with the coverage of the NHL Finals this past season,
and he certainly didn’t disappoint!”
Knight of Cups: Do you have any tips for
the average fan for taking pictures at the game?
Bruce Bennett: “Always fill the frame.
Cropping into an image reduces the resolution and sharpness. Additionally,
don’t be thrown off by the white ice. It will mess up your exposure and turn
the ice gray. Pick an exposure by the look of the faces and jerseys and shoot
with manual settings.”
Knight of Cups: Who would you call your
biggest influence or taught you the most on your way to being a professional
photographer?
Bruce Bennett: “A Long Island based
photographer Joe DiMaggio along with his wife Joanne Kalish took me under their
wing and were very generous with their knowledge and guidance.”
Knight of Cups: Who has been your
biggest supporter away from the ice?
Bruce Bennett: “When I got started at 18
years old, my mom and dad were very supportive… that is, as long as I finished
college and got my accounting degree. Then they afforded me enough time to get
my photography business off the ground. My wife is extremely supportive as she
sees firsthand how much time and effort I put in to being the best I can be. My
two kids are always big fans of my work, and of course, my family at Getty
Images has shown many times that they trust me and support my decisions when it
comes to covering the sport.”
Knight of Cups: What do you love the
most about your career?
Bruce Bennett: “Every day is a new day
with new challenges. If you didn’t get the shot last game, you might just get
it tonight. I still admire how goalies let one in but then bounce back and get
the next one. I sometimes have nightmares for years when I miss a shot. But I
equate what I do to golfers. They always say that it’s that one special shot
that brings you back tomorrow.”
KoC: Anything else you would like to
add?
Bruce Bennett: “Baba Booey”
A Baba Booey
and a Fa Fa Foe Foe, Fooey to you Bruce.
I’d like to
thank Bruce for sharing some of his story with me and all who support me at Knight of Cups.
Here's to capturing a few more memories to add to the storied history of our Islanders.
Bruce Bennett
is available for assignment work through Getty Images.
Contact the Getty
Images Photo Assignment Desk at nyphotoassignment@gettyimages.com 646-613-4000
Isles Notes:
Per Arthur
Staple, “Isles announced G Linus Soderstrom was loaned to HV71 of Swedish League --
paper transaction since he was playing there regardless this yr.”
Per minnesotahockey.org, "From Crosstown
Rivals to NHL Teammates, Nick Leddy and Anders Lee."
Per Josh Kosman, NY Post, “Prokhorov wants #Isles to play
significant amount of games at NVMC in the 2018-19 season.”
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