Benson was born and raised in Edmonton, and played minor hockey at the South Side Athletic Club (SSAC), including overlapping seasons on the SSAC Lions of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL) with future Edmonton Oilers teammates Stuart Skinner (two SSAC seasons) and James Hamblin (one SSAC season).[1] During the 2012–13 season he established a new scoring record with 146 points in 33 games, surpassing the previous AMBHL mark of 131 points held by Ty Rattie.[1] In addition to being the league's top scorer, he was also named the AMBHL North's Most Valuable Player for the 2012–13 season.[2]
Benson was selected first overall by the Vancouver Giants in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.[3] He made his WHL debut, as an underaged player, on November 16, 2013,[4] starting a WHL career that ran from 2013 to 2018.
Benson was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, 32nd overall, and signed an entry-level contract on December 30, 2016.[5][6] He turned pro in the 2018–19 season, playing with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.[7][8] Benson was named to the AHL All-Rookie and Second All-Star teams in the 2018–19 season, and played in the 2019–20 season All-Star game.[9][10]
As a free agent from the Oilers following the 2022–23 season, Benson was unable to attract NHL interest. On July 10, 2023, he was signed to a one-year AHL contract with the Henderson Silver Knights, the primary affiliate to the Vegas Golden Knights.[11]