Ben Chiarot

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Chiarot was born on May 9, 1991, in Hamilton, Ontario, to Tara and Matt Chiarot. His grandfather Gord played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, while his father and uncle played college football for McMaster University. His father refused to allow him to play football as a child, and he focused on ice hockey instead. He played minor ice hockey as a defenceman for the Mississauga IceDogs of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. In his final season with the team, he recorded 22 goals and 64 points in 75 regular season games, as well as five points in seven OHL Cup games. He played major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Guelph Storm, Sudbury Wolves, and Saginaw Spirit. He made his professional debut in the American Hockey League with the Chicago Wolves during the 2009–10 season. On March 16, 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers signed Chiarot to an entry-level contract. On July 23, 2014, Chiarot signed a two-way deal, worth $600,000 with the Jets, after a strong campaign with the St. John's IceCaps. Chiarot scored his first NHL goal on January 3, 2015, in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. On June 18, 2015, the Winnipeg Jets resigned Chiarot to a two-year, $1.7 million contract extension. On June 24, 2017, the Jets re-signed Chiarot to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension with an annual average of $1.4 million. After spending the first eight seasons of his professional career within the Thrashers/Jets franchise, Chiarot left as a free agent following the 2018–19 season to a sign a three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on July 4, 2019. On October 9, 2019, Chiarot scored his first goal with Montreal in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. In his first season in Montreal, he managed a new personal best of 9 goals and 12 assists in 69 games. While playing with the Canadiens, he participated in the team's deep run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He led the Canadiens in ice time during the playoffs. Entering the final season of his contract, he became the subject of increasing speculation that he would be traded before the deadline. Chiarot recorded 18 points in 54 games with the Canadiens, the last being an assist on the game-tying shorthanded goal in the final minute of the third period of a March 13 game against the Philadelphi

In Their Own Story

On March 16, 2022, a pivotal moment occurred when the Canadiens traded Chiarot to the Florida Panthers. The deal included prospect Tyler Smilanic, a 2023 first-round pick, and a 2022 fourth-round pick. Unusually, Chiarot remained in Montreal rather than joining the team on the road immediately, making his debut against his former club on March 24. He recorded an assist in that game, helping secure a 4–3 Panthers victory. Just over three months later, on July 13, 2022, he signed a four-year, $19 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. His tenure in Detroit saw a historic moment on January 29th, 2026, when he scored a goal that put teammate Patrick Kane first on the all-time point list by an American-born player. This milestone came only one day after Chiarot signed a three-year extension with the Wings.

Reader's Guide

Ben Chiarot is a defenceman for the Detroit Red Wings. He was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009. He has played for the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Florida Panthers. He reached the Stanley Cup Finals with Montreal in 2021. He signed with Detroit in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Chiarot made his professional debut with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL during the 2009–10 season.
• He scored his first NHL goal on January 3, 2015, in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Chiarot led the Canadiens in ice time during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
• He was traded from Montreal to Florida on March 16, 2022.