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Bonvie to mark career milestone
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BY JONATHAN BOMBULIE
STAFF WRITER
JENKINS TOWNSHIP — One night in 1993, before his Moncton Hawks took on the Cape Breton Oilers, a 23-year-old Dan Bylsma made a decision.
A call-up from the lower minors intent on earning a permanent AHL roster spot, Bylsma was going to catch his coach’s eye in the one way he was sure he could, by dropping his gloves and literally fighting for a job.
Bylsma plowed into a corner and grabbed the first Oilers player he saw, preparing for a scrap.
It was Dennis Bonvie.
What Bylsma remembers most about the bout that followed was that he survived it.
“I didn’t think to (pretend to strap on a championship belt) or (point to the crowd),” Bylsma said, mimicking the gestures that some flamboyant tough guys make after a fight. “I just (made the sign of the cross), thanking God that I was able to get up and skate away.”
More than 13 years later, Bylsma is a 36-year-old assistant coach for the Penguins. Bonvie is still slugging away.
The next time he takes to the ice, probably when the Penguins visit the Binghamton Senators tonight, Bonvie will reach a significant milestone — his 800th regular-season AHL game.
“I’ve enjoyed the ride,” Bonvie said after practice Thursday at The Ice Box. “Every kid wants to play one game of pro hockey, and here I am over 800 later, if you include the NHL. The bottom line is hockey’s been good to me. It really has.”
The achievement is significant in and of itself — only 26 other players in the 71-year history of the AHL have reached the 800-game mark — but what makes it more remarkable is the way Bonvie has played those 800 games.
He knows full well that every shift could end with him putting his health and well-being on the line.
Take Wednesday’s game at Hershey for example. Before the first period ended, the 5-foot-11 Bonvie found himself squaring off with Kip Brennan, a ripped 6-foot-4 winger more likely to appear on the cover of Muscle & Fitness than The Hockey News.
It was an even fight, for the most part, but when it was over, Brennan found himself flat on his back, staring up at the Giant Center lights.
“Kip Brennan can knock you out,” Bylsma said. “I’ve seen him knock guys out. I’ve seen him end a career. To go in every night knowing that you’re going to do that against a guy like that, it takes a person who’s strong mentally.”
In one respect, there is a strong similarity between the Bonvie who played in Game 1 in 1993 and the Bonvie who will play in Game 800 this week. He still exhibits a childlike love of the game.
“I’ve always had that hunger to play, even to get out there and practice,” he said. “And I think I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie most of all. When you’re with the guys, laughing and joking, playing pranks here and there, when it’s all said and done, those are the things I’m going to miss.”
In another respect, though, Bonvie is playing a completely different game than the one he played 13 years ago. With speed and skill becoming more and more prominent, the traditional enforcer is going the way of the maskless goalie.
Bonvie, therefore, has seen less ice time and more nights spent in the press box as a healthy scratch this season.
Despite those developments, Bonvie isn’t ready to concede that Game 800 will be one of his last.
“I’d like to think I’ve got a few more in me, but time will tell,” he said. “I’ll finish this year and fingers crossed, I’m back for another one, but we’ll see. There’s a lot of hockey left to be played this year. We’ve got 20-some games left and a big run in the playoffs ahead of us.”
A call-up from the lower minors intent on earning a permanent AHL roster spot, Bylsma was going to catch his coach’s eye in the one way he was sure he could, by dropping his gloves and literally fighting for a job.
Bylsma plowed into a corner and grabbed the first Oilers player he saw, preparing for a scrap.
It was Dennis Bonvie.
What Bylsma remembers most about the bout that followed was that he survived it.
“I didn’t think to (pretend to strap on a championship belt) or (point to the crowd),” Bylsma said, mimicking the gestures that some flamboyant tough guys make after a fight. “I just (made the sign of the cross), thanking God that I was able to get up and skate away.”
More than 13 years later, Bylsma is a 36-year-old assistant coach for the Penguins. Bonvie is still slugging away.
The next time he takes to the ice, probably when the Penguins visit the Binghamton Senators tonight, Bonvie will reach a significant milestone — his 800th regular-season AHL game.
“I’ve enjoyed the ride,” Bonvie said after practice Thursday at The Ice Box. “Every kid wants to play one game of pro hockey, and here I am over 800 later, if you include the NHL. The bottom line is hockey’s been good to me. It really has.”
The achievement is significant in and of itself — only 26 other players in the 71-year history of the AHL have reached the 800-game mark — but what makes it more remarkable is the way Bonvie has played those 800 games.
He knows full well that every shift could end with him putting his health and well-being on the line.
Take Wednesday’s game at Hershey for example. Before the first period ended, the 5-foot-11 Bonvie found himself squaring off with Kip Brennan, a ripped 6-foot-4 winger more likely to appear on the cover of Muscle & Fitness than The Hockey News.
It was an even fight, for the most part, but when it was over, Brennan found himself flat on his back, staring up at the Giant Center lights.
“Kip Brennan can knock you out,” Bylsma said. “I’ve seen him knock guys out. I’ve seen him end a career. To go in every night knowing that you’re going to do that against a guy like that, it takes a person who’s strong mentally.”
In one respect, there is a strong similarity between the Bonvie who played in Game 1 in 1993 and the Bonvie who will play in Game 800 this week. He still exhibits a childlike love of the game.
“I’ve always had that hunger to play, even to get out there and practice,” he said. “And I think I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie most of all. When you’re with the guys, laughing and joking, playing pranks here and there, when it’s all said and done, those are the things I’m going to miss.”
In another respect, though, Bonvie is playing a completely different game than the one he played 13 years ago. With speed and skill becoming more and more prominent, the traditional enforcer is going the way of the maskless goalie.
Bonvie, therefore, has seen less ice time and more nights spent in the press box as a healthy scratch this season.
Despite those developments, Bonvie isn’t ready to concede that Game 800 will be one of his last.
“I’d like to think I’ve got a few more in me, but time will tell,” he said. “I’ll finish this year and fingers crossed, I’m back for another one, but we’ll see. There’s a lot of hockey left to be played this year. We’ve got 20-some games left and a big run in the playoffs ahead of us.”
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