Born in Edmonton as the son of current National Hockey League scout Elmer Benning for the Montreal Canadiens, and brother of former National Hockey League players Jim Benning and Brian Benning, Mark played for the Saint Albert Saints junior hockey team
Harvard University.
Recruited by the University of Notre Dame, Benning played for two years and then transferred to Harvard University in 1984. Benning graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Economics in 1987. He was named a first-team All-American, an Academic All-American, All-Ivy League, All-ECAC and as of 2014 still holds the record for career assists by a defenseman at Harvard with 102.
After college Benning played for European Commission Bad Nauheim in the German Hockey League for two seasons before retiring from hockey in 1989.
He then went to Stanford Business School and is now an options trader in San Diego, California. He was inducted into the Harvard Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
