Big Benn gets deal

When Benn Olson began his WHL career with the Kamloops Blazers, he was pretty much an enforcer. Period. But he was dealt to the Seattle Thunderbirds early in the 2005-06 season and, with some hard work and some help from a coaching staff that included former WHL defenceman Jim McGaggart, Olson turned himself into a serviceable defender. He still played tough — he led the WHL in penalty minutes last season — and he still fought. But he improved to the point where he played a regular shift and killed penalties; in other words, he wasn’t a liability. On Friday, Olson, 21, signed his first professional contract, with the AHL’s Albany River Rats.